


Uchahvia

by Triskellion



Series: The Uchahvia [1]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Alien Gender/Sexuality, Alien Mythology/Religion, Alien Sex, F/M, Fixing the Rift, M/M, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-19 00:05:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 60,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/566825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triskellion/pseuds/Triskellion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark didn't notice the change until it was done, set, and he had a set of tentacles in place of a body part he'd been rather fond of. So had Lois. Now the AI is being less than helpful in explaining what zrhog means, Lois is freaking out, and Lex wants something. Is this the end of the world? Or the beginning of something beautiful?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Change: Shod to Zrhog

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I created a plot for something that on some level will basically be tentacle porn. I don't know how long this will be (hopefully not too long, I have other stuff to write), but I'm having fun anyway.
> 
> All Kryptonian language and myth is based on bits from http://kryptonian.info/, as muddled and mangled by me to fit explaining why Clark has tentacles coming from his you-know. You know you're a geek when you spend an hour poking around someone else's geek project to develop a theoretical logic and linguistics behind the words used in your crack!fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

Clark didn’t notice the change as it was happening. Busy as Superman dealing with the after effects of an earthquake in Japan, he lived on sunlight and prayers for a week solid, shoring up damaged structures and searching for survivors while hope remained. As long as his body kept up with the work, the specifics didn’t enter his notice.

So it wasn’t until he was home and taking a shower—finally. Do you know how deep mud can wedge itself into any available crevice over the course of a week?—when he noticed something off.

Of course, noticed is a bit of a weak description. Savoring the warm water with near orgasmic pleasure, Clark decided an orgasm was just what he needed, and after a week away there was no reason he couldn’t get it up again when Lois got home—it was almost five, but let’s be honest, when did Lois ever work normal business hours?—so he reached down and found… nothing felt quite right.

Eyes wide with panic, he dashed from the still running shower and planted himself before the full length mirror in the bedroom. There was still mud embedded in a few corners, some soap in his hair. His eyes looked normal. Muscles still looked bulky and strong. Abs still cut. Just… no penis.

Well, it looked like one was there, if you didn’t look close. But really what was there now was made up of a collection of smaller limbs that spiraled together to form the appearance of normality. But when he touched, each little appendage split off and began independently moving over his hand.

He stood there, studying the extremities, trying to understand what drove their movements, see if he could control them, until Lois distracted him with a loud screech.

“What the hell happened? Is this some side effect of one of Luthor’s death rays or something?” She stared at him, eyes wide, looking almost… afraid. Lois never looked afraid, not even when staring into the barrel of a gun held by someone she’d managed to royally piss off.

“I’m not sure,” Clark admitted, struggling to wiggle his fingers free from the tangle of protuberances wrapped around them. It wasn’t that they were that strong— well they were, but he was stronger elsewhere—as that they were sensitive and getting more so the more he played and pulling too hard rather hurt.

“God, it’s like you were attacked by a squid.”

“Umm, not really. No suckers, and there’s nine limbs.” He was pretty sure of that. They didn’t like staying still much, not when there was something to wrap around, but it seemed to contain two circles, a ring of six around a ring of three. Finally getting his hands away from his groin, he watched as the—well, tentacles did rather describe them—tentacles settled down and curled back into a cluster that looked, superficially, much like the penis he’d had previously. Nothing, however, had replaced his testicles. Those were just missing.

Lois gaped and gibbered a little. Her feet were slowly slipping backwards, away from Clark, away from their shared bedroom. “Maybe… maybe you should check with the fortress. I mean, that can’t be normal.

Clark nodded. “Good point.” He smiled wryly. “Sorry. This wasn’t exactly in my plans for this evening.” Super speed allowed him to quickly pull on a clean uniform and rub the rest of the water and soap from his hair. The fortress had a shower that was more powerful than the one in their apartment so he could get clean once the AI figured out what was going on.

Ready to go, he stepped closer to Lois, planning to give her a quick kiss goodbye, or maybe a long kiss. It had been a week since he’d last seen her.

He couldn’t get close. Not without using his powers against her. For every step he took forward, she took an equal step back. Finally, he just went around her. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Uh, right. Take care.”

~o0o~

Clark frowned the whole flight to the arctic. He was more than a little worried about Lois’ reaction. Sure, he got that this was a little weird. Well, a lot weird. But scary? Scary enough to male Lois Lane’s voice shake? That didn’t make sense. It just didn’t.

But he couldn’t fix things with Lois until he sorted things out in his pants. So he didn’t linger, flying to the fortress at full safe speed—for the countryside, not for him.

“Welcome, Kal-El,” the AI pronounced as Clark landed in the entryway. Its sanctimonious tones, as always, put his back up. “How may I be of assistance?”

“I need a physical scan. Something strange happened while I was attending to the earthquake this week.” Clark tried to avoid the system run by his father’s AI whenever possible, but he needed answers too much to wait. 

The AI opened the scanning chamber in the main hall. Walking in had Clark’s shoulders tighter than he liked to admit. While he’d never had problems here, the structure reminded him too much of the room he’d spent three months in being brainwashed as a teen.

This time the lights indicating the Kryptonian system’s scanning sensors simply bathed him for a minute and shut off.

“Congratulations.” There was almost a sense of grudging respect in that one word from the AI.

“Pardon?” Clark asked, stepping out of the chamber as soon as the door opened.

“You have achieved zrhog, the first El in ten generations to do so.”

Clark took a moment to try and parse that statement. His understanding of Kryptonian always seemed to hit interesting flaws whenever the word used described a concept not available in English or other Earth languages, and ‘zrhog’ definitely was giving him troubles. It was similar to ‘zrhig’, which meant wisdom, but it seemed like there was a gender being assigned. Except, how can you assign gender to wisdom, a concept?

“So… I don’t understand. This is normal?” An uncertain hand reached down and cupped his changed gentiles. The different members began to shift under his touch and he pulled away before he could think about it too hard.

“You are zrhog, the leader your mother and I always knew you would be.” The disappointment was obvious in the AI’s tone. “Your failure to understand such important elements of your culture only reiterates the importance of your coming to me for training in your youth.”

Clark frowned, now more irritated than confused. Though he was still very confused. “You had your chance to teach me. Instead you brainwashed me, set me against my friends and family, and I still know nothing of being… zhrog.”

“The knowledge was refused.”

Biting back the urge to bellow “Bullshit,” Clark turned off the AI’s voice system at the control panel and activated the archives. He had a word. Maybe he could make sense of this himself.

~o0o~

“Clark! It’s been two days. But that means the AI fixed it, right? This is great. I’ve missed you.” Lois threw herself at Clark as soon as he came in the window, lips on his and hand cupping his groin. It was great while it lasted.

“What the hell?” Lois was halfway across the room in the split second after Clark’s new appendages started shifting in response to her touch.

“There is no fix.” Clark super sped out of his suit and into a comfortable and worn pair of sweats and cotton shirt. “It’s some kind of Kryptonian developmental thing.” Under the soft fabric, he could feel his groin spread its feelers against the fuzzy material. It felt… good.

“No fix?” Lois screeched. “You’re… you’re…. Do not try and tell me this is some kind of Kryptonian sexual maturity thing.”

Collapsing onto the couch, Clark shook his head. And pulled a throw pillow over his crotch. This conversation was going to be hard enough without Lois noticing that his bits were exploring on their own. “Not sexual maturity. I was sexually mature… am sexually mature. Whatever. This is something else. Something more. It doesn’t happen to everyone. I’m not even sure how often it happens.” The records in the archive had been less than helpful on the specifics, seeming to contain more myth and legend than fact and detail.

“You going to explain that?” Lois leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, her stance wary and uncomfortable.

“I’d like to, if I understood,” Clark said with a groan, rolling his head along the back of the couch, trying to work out the kinks of two days spend hunched over the archive. “I’m not shod anymore, I’m zrhog.” His tongue rolled awkwardly over the Kryptonian words. “It’s like Krypton had a third gender. Or maybe four?” There had been mention of a ‘zrheg’ in the archives, feminine wisdom or something. “Men and women like here on Earth, and those who become something more later in life and join the Uchahvia.” Whatever that was. Synergy was the standard definition, and a major pillar of Kryptonian life, but in this situation the word seemed to imply something between a government position and religious order.

“What did the AI say?” Lois prompted, as if that would answer everything.

“That this is why I should have let it brainwash me into taking over the world,” Clark said dryly. “Apparently zrhog are some kind of special leaders. Only the strongest or wisest are capable of the change. That I changed means I’m all the more destined to rule Earth. Since I don’t believe that, it was less than forthcoming with other details. Not that I’m sure it has a clue either. The archives are… confused. I think a lot of the information was in some special archives just for the Uchahvia on Krypton, but since those are long gone….” He was fucked.

“Well… maybe you should get some rest. Some food.” Lois looked uncertainly at the kitchen. “I was going to order in, but there’s some research I should follow up on.” She straightened, looking more confident and comfortable than she had since she groped him. “I’ll let you rest, see you in the office tomorrow.”

She might as well have had super speed given how quick she made it out the door. Clark considered following her. She was his wife. They did have a few things to work out. But pushing her wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He knew her too well to think otherwise.

Tomorrow. At work. Oh, that was going to be fun. After nine days missing, Perry was going to tear Clark apart, Lois was going to be awkward, Jimmy was going to be fumbling, and Clark… Clark had no idea what to do.

He really, really missed his Mom about now.

~o0o~

Work went smoothly. Surprisingly so. Lois had covered for Clark, and a few articles on the earthquake, in Clark’s name, had been published while he was gone. Lois was pretty good at aping him for short pieces. But while he and Lois fell into their normal banter in public, nothing helped once they were in private. It was like they were new partners again, with Lois ordering him around on the job and ignoring him the rest of the time. Except this time they were married, and theoretically living together.

After a week of being ignored and downright avoided—the couch was not that comfortable, but he was definitely not welcome in their bed— Clark took to spending more and more of each night running patrols, until he collapsed in exhaustion, usually speeding to Smallville to crash in his old room in the farmhouse. 

With Mom gone it wasn’t the same, but he’d held onto the house when he sold the farmland to neighboring farms. Lois said he was being overly sentimental and what did they need with a farmhouse three hours away from home and work, but hadn’t put up that much of a fuss. Right now, he needed the familiar comfort and quiet of the house he grew up in, even if it smelled more of dust than apple pie.

But sometimes there wasn’t enough trouble in the world to wear him out enough to sleep, and the farm was so quiet he could hear himself thinking. Too much thinking. Those nights he often found himself on the roof of the Daily Planet building, knees to his chest and arms hugging his legs, listening to the world go on around him. Loving. Fighting. Living.

For the first time in a long time, he wondered if he had any place amongst the throngs of humanity. He remembered feeling this way before, in high school when he learned what he was for the first time, when he ran away to Metropolis that summer, when his father died. But since joining the Daily Planet, since partnering with and winning Lois, those feelings had been far away. He’d been at home here.

How could he possibly be at home here when the love of his life couldn’t stand to look at him anymore?

Lost in his depression, Clark almost missed the movement and voice coming from the LuthorCorp building across the way. But eventually the familiar voice caught his ear and he spotted Lex waving at him.

Frowning and uncertain, he stood and flew between the buildings. Lex hadn’t stuck his nose out as much of late, not since he finally achieved his goal of becoming President of the United States. Having the Secret Service around didn’t completely restrain the mad genius, but he’d backed off on the kill Superman plans for the last decade or so.

“Luthor?” Clark asked, hovering beside the building rather than encroach on LuthorCorp property without an explicit invitation. That was his half of the unspoken arrangement between them of late. Superman didn’t attack LuthorCorp or Lex, Lex didn’t attack Superman. Oh, there had been a few expos as Clark Kent, but nothing terribly criminal. Nothing to really get upset about. If Lex knew. Clark had never been completely certain.

Lex looked worried, stressed. Despite his excellent healing, there were lines of stress on his face and shadows under his eyes. Eight years as President hadn’t etched those in permanently, so that couldn’t be it.

“Superman.” Lex stood firmly, confidently, as he spoke, but there was a glimmer of uncertainty in his gray eyes, a hint that only someone who knew him very well could have seen. Clark hadn’t seen a glimmer like that since Smallville.

“What do you want?” Clark crossed his arms, though it was more a defensive gesture than a gesture of strength, to be honest. Getting this close to Lex made him itchy.

“I have….” Lex stopped. Frowned. Took a deep breath. “I need a favor.”

Clark raised an eyebrow.

“Some years back, I was taken over by the Kryptonian entity known as Zod.”

Clark nodded. “Black Thursday. The entity was expelled.”

“Was it?” Lex looked uncertain. “I have long thought so, but some recent changes make me wonder… if a remnant left behind or some of the physiological changes have long term repercussions.”

It was Clark’s turn to frown. He didn’t like the sound of that at all. “What makes you believe this possible?” Could Clark have failed to completely remove Zod? Sure Lex had shown some behavior changes after, but after what he’d been through a fear of alien invasion was somewhat understandable. How he chose to deal with it was something of a problem, but were they related?

“There have been some recent developments, new changes….” Lex stopped again. Sighed. “It’s a long story. Simply, I would appreciate if you could run some data past your records of Krypton and see if what is happening might be a side effect of the possession or the changes that Brainiac made to my body when preparing me to be the vessel of Zod.”

Clark hadn’t considered any physiological changes before. He closed his eyes and swore internally in English, Kryptonian, and Arabic. Why hadn’t he considered such changes? Humans couldn’t handle Kryptonian powers for any length of time. Look at what happened to Dad. But Lex had been fine, more than fine. Theoretically. So something must have been done. And Clark had never done anything to look into it, to fix it, to help Lex. Their enmity at that point was no excuse. 

“Of course. It there is anything I can do to fix the damage done by Zod, it is certainly my duty to do so.” That was so much more formal than the apology that Clark wanted to make, but Superman hadn’t existed back then, hadn’t officially been on Earth.

“I assume your willingness to help does not include taking computer files with you,” Lex said, dryly. “I have some tissue samples, photos, documentation from my doctors and—“

“Shit.” The rumble of water surging up the continental shelf reached his ears. “Tsunami.” The AI in the fortress reported that the wave was surging up out of the Bay of Bengal towards the east coast of Indai.

“Go,” Lex said, waving Clark off. “I’ll courier you the data later. Go.” 

Clark didn’t wait to make sense of that but flew as fast as he could towards India.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are interested:
> 
> Zrhig is Kryptonian for Wisdom. Zrhog and zrheg are loosely the masculinized and feminized of zrhig using the same pattern as the word for adult person. (That bit's all me.)
> 
> Shod is Kryptonian for an adult male over the age of 17. Shed is the female, and shehd is the gender neutral. 
> 
> Uchahvia is Kryptonian for synergy, one of the eleven virtues of Kryptonian society as laid out on their flag. You'll figure out why I chose that eventually.


	2. Braniac's Influence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on the details of Lex's life I'm running with. I'm junking the idea that Lex ever died and had to be rebuilt from clone parts. He also never lost a hand to cancer (That'll come up later). He was taken over by Zod and did some stupid stuff after in the name of fear, but let's assume none of it was quite bad enough to block his chances of becoming President. Per the end of Smallville, Lex became PotUS. Assume he served his terms with distinction and returned to running LuthorCorp and micromanaging the world economy whenever possible.
> 
> Per Finale Pt 2, Lex became president of the US in 2018. I'm assuming with not losing his memory he made the limit and was elected in 2015 (you have to be 35 to be elected president). The date of this story is around 2025.

Lex noticed the change from the beginning. He was used to monitoring his body carefully and getting a complete physical twice a year. It had been that way since he was nine and he was exposed to massive amounts of unidentified radiation during the meteor shower. Just because they knew more about the meteor rock these days didn’t mean there wasn’t still a chance of developing some kind of cancer. His father had maintained the same medical regime until the day he died, not that being told his liver was failing had saved Lionel Luthor in the slightest. No, it had just told him promptly that the end was coming.

That knowledge still made Lex smile a little. 

What did not make Lex smile was finding two circles of bumps surrounding his penis, three in the inner circle, six in the outer, during his morning shower.

He had rinsed off and called his doctors the minute he was out of the shower.

They were dumbfounded. As were the best researchers he could bring in, all experienced with the oddities of alien exposure and Kryptonian genetics. As much any Earth scientist could be, anyway. But nothing in previous experience explained the changes occurring at his groin.

For the next week, Lex was monitored constantly. Photos, blood draws, MRIs. Nothing in his DNA indicated a change, though his genetic code had been mutated and modified so many times how was anyone to know if some bit of junk code hadn’t just activated. The doctors could only watch in confusion and awe as Lex’s testicles retreated into his body. His penis appeared to do the same, though that retreat was more difficult to track as the bumps grew into some kind of tentacles and made the relative position of his penis harder to see. The MRIs showed the new placement of his various organs no longer visible to the naked eye, but nothing within those images explained why this had happened.

Once his condition stabilized, Lex sent everyone packing other than a twice daily checkup and retreated to his penthouse with a wealth of data and no idea what questions to start asking.

Well, between maintaining his financial empire and avoiding the Secret Service, he did set out to answer one question. Whether he was still capable of achieving sexual gratification in his new condition. The answer was quite… acceptable, though the realization that even the most discrete and well paid courtesan was likely to have, quite understandable, concerns about his physical attributes depressed him. He might find someone kinky enough to go along with what was needed (of course he could. It was amazing what depravities humans could enjoy) but finding one who wouldn’t betray him to the media? 

He liked sex, whether with soft, curvy women or hard, lean men. He liked sex. And it looked like self-gratification was going to be his best option for the rest of his life. His quite possibly very long life.

Lex far too quickly took to sulking on his couch with a drink and staring at the Metropolis skyline in the evenings. The Secret Service appreciated having less to do with his evenings curtailed, but Lex found it positively… lonely.

It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to feel such an emotion.

It was probably the second week of his sulking that Lex first noticed Superman arrive on the roof of the Daily Planet. He didn’t think much of it. The caped menace was always skulking around Metropolis at night. But the next night he noticed another arrival. And no departure. The next night he stayed up all night, watching, and saw Superman arrive around midnight and not leave until dawn. It was that morning, with the sun faintly highlighting the colors of that ridiculous suit, that Lex noticed the Man of Steel’s posture. Defeated, with an air of distraught child.

For two days, Lex refused to sit on his couch. The last thing he needed to do was rekindle his obsession with Superman in any way shape or form. But, rereading the files on his condition, studying the oddities introduced to his genetic code over the years, he realized that there might just be one place with answers for him. Maybe. If they could be polite to each other.

And if Lex wanted to admit to his onetime friend and longtime enemy just what a freak he had become.

Lex Luthor was not a coward. The next night, after seeing Superman settle into his little-boy-lost pose, he went up to the roof. And waved.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Superman responded. And being almost polite for once, he stayed off Lex’s property.

“Luthor?”

Lex was surprised. Depressed as Superman’s posture had been, Lex still hadn’t expected the hints of exhaustion and wear on the alien’s face. Lex had skipped Martha’s funeral the year before, out of respect so as not to make the day a spectacle. Stupid Secret Service. But this didn’t quite look like grief. Or not grief alone. Perhaps something was wrong at home?

“Superman.” He got that much out, and realized he had no idea how to broach this subject.

“What do you want?” Superman crossed his arms, a look all too familiar from many confrontations over the years. Lex preferred the memories where flannel covered those arms rather than blue spandex.

“I have…” No, that wasn’t the way to go about it. “I need a favor.” Oh, that was going to go over well. But while Superman raised an eyebrow, he didn’t reject the idea outright. “Some years back, I was taken over by the Kryptonian entity known as Zod.” That time was still the source of at least half of Lex’s nightmares. Even after eight years in the Oval Office and an impressive collection of international crises. 

“Black Thursday. The entity was expelled.”

Lex wanted to demand how Superman knew that, or more specifically how Clark had done it. All these years and all Lex had were fragments of memory, none of which explained how he had regained control over his own body.

“Was it?” he asked, his tone quiet rather than demanding. Demanding never got him anywhere with Clark, and he didn’t need a fight right now. “I have long thought so, but some recent changes make me wonder… if a remnant left behind of some of the physiological changes have long term repercussions.” Or it could be a new level of kryptonite mutation, but that possibility would mean Clark couldn’t help him.

“What makes you believe that’s possible?” Clark was frowning. Looking thoughtful. That was good, right?

“There have been some recent developments. New changes….” No, Lex still couldn’t bring himself to be explicit. Lionel would be appalled. “Face your fears. You can’t accept yourself until you can say it aloud. You’re bald. Say it.” _I have tentacles coming out of my groin._ Nope, still not ready to verbalize that. “It’s a long story. Simply, I would appreciate if you could run some data past your records of Krypton and see if what is happening might be a side effect of the possession or the changes that Brainiac made to my body when preparing me to be the vessel of Zod.” 

Clark didn’t say anything for almost a minute. He seemed to be processing. And upset. The question was, was he upset with Lex, or himself? Finally, he said, “Of course. It there is anything I can do to fix the damage done by Zod, it is certainly my duty to do so.”

Lex felt his temper rise within him, but years of anger management, therapy, and eight years spent dealing with an amazing number of idiots from all over the world allowed him to stuff down the urge to shake Clark and tell him just how responsible Lex considered him for the whole mess. Bringing aliens to Earth. Fucking Clark.

Lex took a deep breath, and smiled politely. “I assume your willingness to help does not include taking computer files with you.” This part he had thought through. And there was a box on his coffee table waiting for Clark to say yes. “I have some tissue samples, photos, documentation from my doctors and—“

“Shit.”

Lex paused in surprise. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever heard Clark cuss before, certainly not while he was dressed as the big blue boy scout.

“Tsunami.”

“Go.” Lex waved Clark off. Green/blue eyes were already distracted, his attention on the distant disaster. “I’ll courier you the data later. Go.”

Before Lex finished speaking, Clark was a distant blur lost in the dark. Lex stared off the roof for awhile, trying to decide if that conversation had gone well or not, but decided that in the end it only mattered that Clark had agreed to try running things past his archive in the arctic.

As he headed down the stairs to his penthouse, Lex tried to remember if there was anyone left in the office who used to be part of the group who monitored Superman’s actions for him. He needed to know when Clark was back in the city. It would be a few days before the bleeding heart left the disaster zone and there was no point in couriering the box anywhere until Clark was present to receive it.

He wondered if any of the bugs he’d planted in Clark’s apartment and the old Kent farmhouse were still active.

~o0o~

Marisa, onetime head of the Superman monitoring division, now worked as an assistant to one of the researchers called in to study Lex’s changes. That made getting her back to monitoring Superman part time simple, without her asking any questions. When he said he wanted to know when Superman was back, her eyes just lit up as she clearly made the connection between Lex’s condition and the alien.

That was easy enough.

The bugs were, amazingly, still active. Apparently, when Lex had gone off to the White House, he had forgotten to cancel the orders to replace the bugs as needed when the batteries ran down and keep computerized records of all recorded conversations and their transcripts. The data processing was all automated these days, so no one had listened to anything in over a decade, but all that data was sitting in a secure server, updated daily.

Lex resisted the urge to listen to any recordings from the farmhouse from around the time of Martha’s death.

The transcripts from a few weeks back in Clark and Lois’ apartment, however, were quite enlightening. The words didn’t tell him much, but a strange kerfluffle in the bedroom—Lex intentionally had refused to bug their bedroom. That was an area he just didn’t need access to—had been followed by an even stranger conversation two days later. And since then it seemed that Clark and Lois had stopped talking. Lex couldn’t even prove that Clark had been to the apartment in over a week.

Some questions asked and some research done indicated that their relationship at work seemed normal, but a little stilted. Jimmy Olsen had confided in Lex’s agent that he felt like he’d gone back in time to before Lois and Clark had started dating. Clark seemed to be pining and Lois oblivious, and he didn’t know what to think. Lex had tried to get Perry White’s opinion, but the old editor, due to retire any day now, was still too sharp to say anything to a stranger.

Still, quite an intriguing situation. Lex was looking forward to Clark’s return, and not just for the answers Lex might get about himself.


	3. Answers? Or Just More Questions?

Clark arrived back in the US late at night, three days after the tsunami hit India. He could have stayed longer, they certainly could have used his help, but he couldn’t trust that he’d still have a job if he stayed much longer, not with how things were going with Lois. So he made sure the worst was past and those who could be saved were, then flew home to Smallville for a few hours of sleep.

As he was getting dressed the next morning, still half asleep, that he noticed more of his wardrobe was in Smallville than Metropolis these days. That realization left him in a state of shock that left him flying full tilt to work when he snapped out of it, and still arriving twenty minutes late.

“Kent!” Perry bellowed as soon as Clark stepped out of the elevator. He shuffled over to his editor’s office with an apologetic grimace, but wasn’t given a chance to say anything. “If this is what comes of you being sick, be sick more often. I don’t know how you got this information out of Luthor, but good work.”

Clark slunk to his desk in utter confusion. It wasn’t until he opened his email, and found the article in the sent folder, that he began to understand. There was an interview article with Lex Luthor in there, about LuthorCorp’s recent research into interstellar travel. Clark had no idea the project was as advanced as this interview implied. And the tone of the questions, the style of writing completely matched Clark. 

There was also another email full of notes, enough for another article, this one a personal interest piece on life after being President of the United States.

His stomach sank and his heart pounded. What could this mean?

Lois came in, coffee in one hand, doughnut in the other. “There you are,” she snapped. Once she reached his side, she whispered, “I tried to cover for you, but someone beat me to the call. What the hell?”

Clark could only shake his head.

Before he could think on the matter further, a man, in a suit, came out of the elevator with a file box in his arms, calling out “Clark Kent?”

“Over here,” Lois bellowed, pointing down at Clark.

“Sign here,” the man ordered, holding out a clipboard.

Before signing, Clark scanned the paper, and saw it contained directions to deliver the package to Clark Kent at the Daily Planet at this time, by order of Lex Luthor. If Clark was not present, the box was to be returned to Lex immediately. The man was a LuthorCorp employee, not a generic courier. Clark’s heart was choking him as he signed and accepted the box.

The man left without a backward glance. Lois, however, loomed over Clark as he studied the file box. With a bad feeling, he pulled open the tape securing the top and opened the box. It was full of files and a few smaller boxes, and on top was an envelope, lavender, with a familiar LL monogram.

Clark hadn’t seen an envelope like that addressed to him in many years.

He pulled out the note, and closed the box before Lois could grab anything. 

“Hey, what is this?” Lois asked, but Clark ignored her, opening the card instead and reading the note.

_Clark,_

_I hate to play on an old friendship long gone, but I find myself with few options at this time. I would appreciate if the contents of this box went nowhere near your bulldog of a wife and no hint made the papers. I assure you it impacts no one but me and presents no danger to the world. The situation is difficult enough to live with without ending up with it plastered across the tabloids. In fact, if once you’ve had this checked out, you never mentioned it again and tried to forget anything you learned, I’d appreciate it. I know this is a lot to ask, but once you’ve seen the pictures, I think you’ll understand._

_I also know that this blows the lid off a few secrets. But they haven’t really been secrets for a long time, and I’ve never done anything with that knowledge. I never will. Believe what you wish, but on that you have my word._

_Sincerely,  
The maniac with the porche_

Clark was flabbergasted, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. A situation Lex didn’t want known? Clark could rather understand that. And if it really presented no danger to the world, he saw no reason to say anything. And if it did, well, he’d try to deal with that quietly. He owed Lex that much, especially if Zod had anything to do with causing whatever this was.

As to Lex knowing, and knowing for a long time, the extent of Clark’s secrets… well, that Clark was going to worry about later because right now he had to keep Lois from snatching the note, the file box, or anything else. The only thing saving him was her continued desire not to get too close to him.

“Smallville, that was the LuthorCorp logo. Is that Lex Luthor’s personal stationary? I’ve heard he has a thing for purple, but really.” Lois’s voice was getting louder and starting to attract attention.

“Tell Perry I’ll be back in twenty and I’ve got another Lex Luthor exclusive when I get back.” Clark locked his computer, praying the password was complex enough to hold Lois off that long, and stood with the box in his arms.

“Lex Luthor exclusive? Clark Kent, what is going on?” Lois said, this time her voice a low hiss from behind his shoulder so no one else will hear.

Clark didn’t answer. How could he? But as he ran upstairs and flew from the roof to the fortress to stash the box until he could look through it, an odd warmth filled his chest at the thought that Lex had not only kept his secret all these years, he had covered for Clark the last three days. Clark didn’t know what brought this on, but he kinda liked it.

~o0o~

Marisa had reported Superman’s departure from the tsunami disaster zone promptly last night. A short time later, the bugs at the Kent farmhouse indicated Clark had returned and collapsed into bed—Lex was not thinking about how he could identify that action just from sounds over an audio bug.

Lex arranged for the delivery of the box of information first thing the next morning, once he heard sounds of Clark moving around, set the time for a good half hour after Clark was due at work—was the man ever on time?—and a return clause just in case. No way Lex was letting that information sit around where Lois might see it.

The note had been prepared two days ago and sealed into the box, the same day as the interview article had been sent to Perry White. Lex hoped Lois didn’t have access to her husband’s work email. He also wasn’t thinking about everything he was admitting by sending the box to Clark, covering for Clark, when it was Superman he asked for help.

When was the last time he’d admitted to himself the two were one and the same? Before the other night? A year ago? Two? Three? Ten?

Lex spent the day unable to focus. His secretary caught three errors in the one letter he tried to send, and Lex knew his math was off. Even worse, the more agitated he got waiting for Clark to bring some word, the more his new appendages took to twitching and fidgeting within his pants. It was distracting. And visible if anyone looked.

It was a good thing Lex had canceled all meetings that day. And the next.

Just how long might it take to look through the Kryptonian archives? Whatever Clark had been looking up before his fight with Lois had taken two days. Or, it had been two days before he went home. Not that Marisa had found any word of Superman doing anything around the globe in those two days. Not that that necessarily meant anything.

Lex stood at the window of his office and looked out over the Metropolis skyline. And for the first time wished his office faced the Daily Planet.

~o0o~

Clark flew to the fortress late that night. He was tired. Lois had insisted on a late night raid on the offices of a possibly corrupt city council member. They’d almost gotten caught in the guy’s secure files. Only Clark’s abilities had snuck them out unseen. And Lois couldn’t wait to get away from him after he’d had to fly her from the building.

It was the first time he’d touched her in weeks.

He was tired. Sleep was taunting him. But he also didn’t want to test Lex’s good faith and make the man wait too much longer for answers. Admittedly, Clark was also curious just what changes were so upsetting the normally unflappable Lex Luthor.

“Kal-El,” the AI said as soon as Clark landed. “Where did you find the genetic material of a zrheg?”

Clark paused, pushed back sleep, tried to figure out what his psudo-father had just said. “Zrheg?” That was the feminine form of wisdom he’d seen in the archives. Right? “Where have you found genetic material of a zrheg in the fortress?”

“The box you delivered this morning contains several samples of genetic material.”

What the…?

Clark walked over to the box Lex had sent over. Rather than risk Perry’s wrath, Clark had dropped it off on a counter and zipped back to work before the AI could respond to his presence. Flipping the box lid off, Clark pulled out the small boxes contained within. They were all labeled with Lex’s name and dates.

“These?” Clark asked.

“Yes. Those contain genetic material that shows signs of the transformation of shod to zrheg.”

“Okay….” Clark frowned, confused on so many levels. “I thought the transformation was shod to zrhog?” Even as he asked, he flipped open the first folder in the stack. Photos. Of Lex. Naked. Wow. He really was smooth all over.

The tentacles at his groin were getting a bit twitchy.

But what was with the reddish bumps on Lex’s groin?

“Shod may become zrhog or zrheg. Shed can only become zrheg.”

Clark tried to parse that. Male people can become male or female wisdom, but female people can only become female wisdom? What the hell?

He kept flipping through the photos, and watched as if a time-lapse as tentacles grew from Lex’s groin and the usual sex characteristics vanished. The final photo looked rather familiar, actually. If Clark looked in the mirror.

“How is that possible?” Clark paused a moment, then changed his mind. “Actually, forget that. Higher priority question. How is it that Lex, a human, has become zrheg? Kryptonite mutation? Braniac’s interference? Zod’s possession? How?”


	4. Why Zrheg, Not Zrhog?

Clark had flipped through every file in the box, even the ones he didn’t have the medical or scientific background to understand, while the AI coughed up its limited knowledge of zrohg and zrheg. That’s how he found the second note tucked at the bottom.

_Whether you learn anything helpful or not, I’d appreciate a call. -Lex_

Below that was a phone number.

~o0o~

Lex couldn’t sleep. He didn’t even try. Somehow knowing he’d asked Clark was less of a problem than knowing Clark was now looking into the matter.

Or maybe it was that Clark could now know of Lex’s changes. Every step of his changes. Why the fuck had he included all the photo records?

Another crystal glass ended its life in a spray of glass across the living room hearth. A minute later, Lex went for another drink and found the bar was out of glasses.

“Shit.”

Gearing up for a full Luthor rage, Lex’s temper tantrum was cut short by the ringing of a phone. Shocked, Lex actually checked the clock before grabbing his personal cell. 

Eight am.

Caller unknown.

“Luthor.”

“Lex? It’s Clark. I have some of those answers you want, though I don’t know how much you’ll like them.”

“When can you come over?”

Silence.

“The defenses were pulled years ago.” It was a struggle for Lex not to growl and scare Clark off. He wanted that information. Now. “Just fly to the balcony whenever. I assume you have work today?”

“I can tell Perry I’m researching offsite. After my last two scoops, if nothing pans out today I’m not in danger of being sent back to obits.”

Surprised, Lex choked back a chuckle.

“I’ll be there in… ten? Twenty if Perry needs to yell for a few. Unless you have work.” 

“It can wait. See you in ten to twenty.”

Lex hung up first. He wasn’t quite ready to hear what else Clark might say.

Did he have anything edible in the kitchen?

~o0o~

Clark arrived in fifteen, on the dot, landing on the penthouse balcony with a familiar file box in his arms and wearing that absurd spandex suit.

The sliding glass door was already open.

Lex was leaning against the breakfast bar, watching, with a large cup of coffee and a plate of cut fruit, hoping he could push off the effects of last night’s alcohol.

Clark came in, setting the box down on the coffee table. “Um, do you mind if I change?”

A small duffle seemed to appear out of nowhere in his hand, but Lex couldn’t tell if the man of steel had gone and come back in an instant or the bag had been hiding in the red cape. He waved towards the hall.

It was strange. Lex wasn’t sure he’d ever actually seen Clark walk in those big red boots before. Fly around, sure. Get thrown around by robots, aliens, and what not, sure. Maybe even super speed and run from time to time. But just walk, across a room, down a hall? No, not that Lex could recall.

Lex could understand why not. The effect wasn’t nearly as impressive when Clark was actually walking like a normal person.

Less than a minute later, Lex was really face to face with Clark Kent, and the Clark he’d known in their mutual youth rather than the one he faced in press conferences. Blue jeans, a shirt that clung to his pecs and abs almost as well as the spandex suit, a flannel shirt, mussed curls. And no glasses.

Interesting.

Clark walked to the box, and pulled out a few files that didn’t look like anything Lex had included. “I brought back some printouts on the information I could find. Unfortunately there wasn’t that much. But I guess I should start where the AI did.” Clark walked over and looked Lex straight in the eyes. “Congratulations, you have achieved the pinnacle in Kryptonian evolution. You have transitioned from shod to zrheg.”

That statement triggered several lines of thought in Lex’s head. Pinnacle of evolution sounded good. But did Kryptonian evolution mean this was something Zod had done to him? Or Brainiac? How was this change a pinnacle in evolution if it made him incompatible with damned near everyone and everything? Good god, just what did the average Kryptonian look like under his pants? Had Lex missed something major about Clark years ago, or any of the other Kryptonians he’d studied? Zod’s memories, sketchy as they were, didn’t make this seem like it was normal? But why did ‘zrheg’ sound familiar and not? And what did it mean? Lex’s grasp of Kryptionian language was less than complete and the word didn’t sound like anything he knew. And yet, it really did sound familiar.

“You’re going to have to back up and start from the beginning,” Lex finally said. Clark had apparently been waiting patiently for Lex to process, which was unusually polite of him. The folders were still held out for Lex to take. So he did. And set them on the breakfast bar next to his plate. 

Reminded of its presence, he picked up the plate and held it out to Clark.

Clark chuckled and claimed a few slices of apple. “Sorry, that was pretty much my reaction. My father’s AI is less than helpful, oh, ninety percent of the time. Could I snag some coffee? It’s been a long night.”

“Does caffeine work on you?” Lex asked, even as he pointed at the gurgling pot on the counter.

“I’ve never been completely sure. Alcohol doesn’t. It could be psychosomatic really, but after all those afternoons in the Talon, I got kinda used to drinking a lot of coffee.”

Lex caught his breath at the flood of memories those words evoked. Apparently he was still a little drunk if that could slip past his defenses. By the time he’d recovered himself, Clark was perched on one of the stools, sipping his coffee.

“You ready for this?”

Lex nodded.

“You might want to sit down.”

Lex frowned, but settled on another stool, dragging the folders Clark had given him with him.

“Okay. What information I have is limited. The zrhog and zrheg seemed to have their own information archives somewhere, a temple or an office.”

“Presumably destroyed with Krypton,” Lex said.

“Exactly. A lot of what is in the archives is more myth and legend.” Clark ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the curls even more. “I’ve got information on the physical changes. There’s plenty of data on that. The why and how is lacking, unfortunately.”

“I’ll take the myth and legend over no knowledge,” Lex prompted.

Clark sighed. “Right, sorry. So Kryptonians are born male or female, same as humans. However, for reasons unknown, some evolve into an alternate form later in life, either zrhog or zrheg. The terms seem to come from zhrig—”

“Wisdom.” Lex frowned. The word had just popped into his head and he said it. How did he know that? It wasn’t part of any of his Kryptoninan vocabulary lists.

“Right. Legend states that it is the best leaders, protectors, ambassadors, and such who are the ones who make the change. I have no idea what the facts are, but zrhog and zrheg seem pretty rare. Even when Krypton was settling colonies and negotiating with other races, I can only find ten or twenty known zrhog and zrheg at a time.”

Lex held up a hand, and Clark stopped. He needed a moment to think, formulate some questions. “All very interesting, but one question I would like an answer to is how I can have undergone this change. I’m human.” Lex paused and frowned. He didn’t like this feeling of uncertainty. Presidents of the United States don’t have time to feel uncertain. “Aren’t I?”

Clark chuckled. 

Lex glared.

“Sorry, yes, you are human. Mostly. The funny thing is, everything that’s happened, the meteors, Brainiac’s manipulations, only enhanced what was already there.”

“Mostly?”

“I was getting to this. Hang in with me a sec. It seems one interesting thing about zrheg and zrhog is that, beyond the obvious physical changes, they also have an increased genetic adaptability. When making agreements with other races, Kryptonians would sometimes send a zrheg or zrhog, not as ambassador, but more as treaty bride. The changes improve the chance of creating a viable offspring with other races somehow.”

Lex was a little concerned by the degree of excitement Clark was showing over this information. “So I can be used as a treaty bride next time aliens try to invade Earth?” he asked darkly.

Clark held up his hands defensively. “No, no. Well, I suppose you could, but that’s not my point. My point is that sometime in the past, a zrheg or zrhog came to Earth and had children. Or a child. I don’t know any specifics. There’s nothing in the archives I have that indicate this. However, your genetic code indicates that you have Kryptonian ancestry. It’s old, way back, but some of your mitochondrial DNA is pure Kryptonian, and your…. How to explain this?

“Back up a sec. Okay. Women, shed, can only become zrheg. It’s… female wisdom.”

“But that’s what you keep calling me. I assure you I am, was, very much a man,” Lex snapped.

“A man, a shod, can become zrheg or zrhog. The difference, as best I can tell, isn’t the end form after the change, but rather… Damn it. You have genetic code from two parents, a mother and a father. As a man, you get an X chromosome from your mother and a Y chromosome from your father. Kryptonians have something very similar, and that is the place in your genetic code where the change triggers. Whether you’re zrhog or zrheg depends on whether your change triggered from the X or Y. Yours was triggered from the X. Specifically because it was your mother’s line that carried the Kryptonian genetic legacy.”

Cries of “What?’, “Your kidding,” and “Impossible” lodged in Lex’s throat. He sat straight on the stool, his whole body vibrating with an impossible level of energy. His mother? Had a Kryptonian legacy? A million different reactions fought in his brain and heart.

Laughter won out. Accompanied by tears. He even found himself pounding a fist against the counter as he doubled over and tried to breathe through the hysteria.

~o0o~

Clark hadn’t quite been sure what to expect from Lex when he explained. Thrown objects? Possibly. Being driven out of the penthouse with kryptoninte? Quite likely. Tears? Probably not. Luthors don’t cry. But Luthors also don’t laugh like hysterical fools. Normally.

Still, Clark could see the humor. He chuckled a little and watched as Lex cackled his fool head off.

“My father…,” Lex gasped between bursts of laughter, tears running down his face as he tried to lift his head from the counter. “My father… would be furious….. So much for… the glory… of Luthor… genetics….. Superior my ass.”

“Oh shit,” Clark muttered, starting to laugh as well. Lionel would have been furious. To hear his son had achieved a rare an honored transformation, and for none of it to have to do with him? To know his wife had been closer to the aliens he was so obsessed with than he would ever be, and he never knew it?

“Congratulations, Lex,” Clark said between his own chuckles. “You now have proof that you’re a superior human despite being a Luthor, not because.”

Lex looked up at Clark, eyes wide, then doubled over again, his body quaking with laughter. And tears. In fact, it was quickly more sobs than laughter that came from his mouth.

Expecting any moment to be shoved away, but unable to keep from offering support, Clark leaned in and wrapped his arms around his onetime friend, holding the sobbing man to his chest.

Lex never pushed him away.

~o0o~

When the tears finally passed, Lex felt… empty. And yet, he also felt filled with warmth as he realized he was cradled in Clark’s arms.

“Hey, you feeling better?”

While Lex would have welcomed the chance to hide in Clark’s arms forever, the words made him stiffen his back and pull away. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Hey, none of that. You’ve had a shitty couple of weeks. This is a lot to learn at once.”

Lex snorted and stood, walking over to the sink to splash some water on his face, erase the tear tracks that surely covered him. “My father would be appalled.”

”Screw your father,” Clark said with a surprising degree of harshness.

Looking back over his shoulder, Lex froze as he spotted the signs of heavy crying on Clark’s face as well. “Don’t cry for me, Argentina,” Lex said, trying to make it come out like a joke.

The words definitely fell flat.

Clark rubbed his face with a huge fist, then wiped the last of the tears away with a corner of his flannel shirt. “You’re not the only one who’s had a shitty few weeks.”

Lex leaned back against the counter and sighed softly. “I’m sorry things aren’t going well with Lois.”

“Of course, that explains how you knew I’d need those interviews.” Clark shook his head, his eyes fixed on the counter and his now cold cup of coffee. “Did you ever stop stalking me?”

Lex gave in and let out a sigh. “Yes actually. I haven’t paid you a damn bit of attention outside of normal business in over a decade.” He ran a hand over his bare scalp, a habit he’d spent years breaking himself of only to regain during his presidency. “But you looked like shit even before running off to deal with that tsunami.”

“And you wanted to know why.”

Lex shrugged. “I never stopped caring, even if you did.”

Clark frowned. “Is that what you thought? That I stopped caring? I might have gone through some dumb anger cycles in my teen years, and I shouldn’t have let that keep me from realizing Zod might have done some long term damage, but I never stopped caring.”

“Well, apparently Zod didn’t do any long term damage, so it seems we’re all just fine. I assume the rest of the relevant legends are in those files?” Lex didn’t want to keep going down this road. Too many potholes. He’d already cried enough for this decade.

“Given that Zod was convinced he’d become zrhog and was just jumpstarting his right to rule…” Clark stopped and sighed. “I’m not saying this well. Zod was convinced he was destined to become zrhog, and was known to have tried some rituals and who knows what all else that would allow him to make the change sooner. Or so he thought. I don’t know if any of that had an effect on what happened to you in the end.”

“It probably doesn’t really matter now,” Lex said. It wasn’t like he could remember what all Zod had done to his body anyway. And what was done was done. The change had occurred, he was zrheg. That wasn’t going to change. At least now he knew what it meant. Somewhat. Let out a bark of laughter.

“What?”

“After achieving leadership of the United States, I then achieve the pinnacle of Kryptonian evolution, sign of a great leader on a dead world. I can’t decide if the order was right.”

“Would have been hard to explain to the White House medical staff if it had happened the other way around.”

Lex’s stomach went sour at the very thought. “Good point.” Well, at least now he could cancel the twice daily doctors’ visits with a clear conscience. “I don’t suppose there’s anything about what you’re supposed to do once you’re zrheg in those files?”

“Leave your family and join the Urchahvia, whatever that was,” Clark said with a surprising degree of bitterness. Lex watched as Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing a great deal of tension. “I presume that’s where they kept the rest of the data on the change, and after the change. But that doesn’t do us much good.”

“Us?” The word stood out to Lex like a signpost. And suddenly he remembered why zrheg sounded so familiar. It was zrhog that he’d heard before. Clark had used it when talking to Lois, before they stopped talking. Lex stalked forward until he stood at Clark’s side. “How does this affect ‘us’?” 

Clark froze for a moment, staring into Lex’s eyes. Lex had forgotten how green Clark’s eyes were when out of that stupid suit. For a moment, Lex was back on that riverbank, looking into the eyes of his guardian angel.

“Because you’re not the only one who’s achieved the pinnacle of Kryptonian evolution.” A warm hand grabbed Lex’s and placed it against soft, warn denim. That started shifting and twitching in a very familiar manner. “My father’s AI didn’t congratulate you. He congratulated me.”

And in a strong breeze, Clark was gone and Lex was left with a stack of files, his memories, and a sharply whetted curiosity.


	5. Ultimatums

“No, I don’t think this is a bad idea at all,” Lex snapped into his phone, wondering again why he’d decided to go to his office after talking to Clark. He should have tried getting some sleep since getting work done seemed utterly impossible.

“Mr. Luthor, there’s no way to be certain that your condition is stable. Just because there have been no changes since the initial transformation does not mean—“

“I spoke to Superman,” Lex said between gritted teeth, which shut up his head doctor fast enough. “My condition is not unknown.” He considered the truth, and as much of an ego boost it was on one level, he also didn’t feel like sharing. “A combination of meteor exposure, genetic manipulation, and time under a yellow sun.” The last was a personal theory he’d have to follow up on at some point. “My condition is exactly what it should be under the circumstances. I’ll inform you if anything changes, but until then I want the research shut down and the data stored.”

“Mr. Luthor, would Superman be willing to share the data he has available on this subject?”

“No.” Lex hung up the phone before the idiot asked anything else. All the information Clark had brought over that morning was safely locked in a hidden safe in the penthouse where only Lex could get at it. He had no desire to share his personal condition with over curious and eager scientists. If they knew the truth, half of them would be trying to dissect him.

Actually, that provided a whole new insight to Clark’s reticence to talk as a youth.

~o0o~

“Lois, we need to talk,” Clark hissed between gritted teeth, wondering why he’d decided to come into the office today. He’d spent a few hours back at the farm after leaving Lex, freaking out over what he’d admitted to his onetime friend. Apparently explaining to Lex the whys and wherefores of the change was okay, but admitting his own change gave Clark the heebie-jebbies.

Unfortunately, there was nothing to do at the farm, the working portions long since sold off and under other management. So he’d come to work to keep from shaking himself apart with nerves. Except Perry expected results from the morning off and Lois was flat out ignoring him to his face. She hadn’t even looked up when he placed a cup of coffee from her favorite shop on her desk.

“How long are you going to put this off?” Clark felt conspicuous in the office. He hadn’t changed after leaving Lex, other than to add his bulky glasses. He’d explained it to Perry as part of his undercover investigation this morning, but the whole office was eyeing him, some in surprise, some with delight, others with confusion.

Clark gave up trying to talk to Lois when her phone rang and she eagerly picked up a conversation with a source she usually hated to talk to for more than five minutes, all while firmly turning away from him. Growling under his breath, he finally sat down at his desk and tried to figure out what of his research from the last few weeks could be turned into something to get Perry off his back.

Ten minutes later, without a clue, Perry came out of his office. “Lane, Kent, they’re doing a last minute press conference at City Hall about the Petrovich scandal. I need one of you—“

“I got it, Chief,” Lois announced, snatching her PDA from her desk and bolting for the elevator before he could finish.

Clark resisted the urge to scream and shared a look of confusion with Perry. Completely feigned on Clark’s side.

“I expect to see something from you today, Kent.” And Perry went back to his office.

Clark put his head down on his desk and groaned.

“Something’s going on with her,” Jimmy said, experience having him stand about three feet back so when Clark snapped upright in surprise, he missed hitting the photographer.

“Yah think?” Clark grumbled before turning back to his computer. Suicide Slums were positively gentile these days, so that was out. Maybe something on the evolution of the farms outside Metropolis? Or the farm communities?

“She pregnant?” Jimmy had moved closer, so this time he only had to whisper the words and no one would overhear.

Clark intended to say no, reflexively started to, then wondered. Zrhog were supposed to be better at procreating with other races. He and Lois hadn’t used condoms in years since the AI had confirmed children weren’t an option between Kryptonian and human. Not without the AI’s help. But if the genetic malleability had developed before the physical changes?

“I don’t think so,” he said instead. Lois would have to be at least a month and a half along at this point if she was. So he could check when she got back. He knew what pregnant human females looked like on the inside. But if she’d skipped a period, wouldn’t she have said something?

No, because she wasn’t talking to him.

“You two okay?” Jimmy set a hand on Clark’s shoulder, and it took all he had for Clark not to lean into the touch. Outside of rescues and holding Lex this morning, Clark hadn’t been touched in a month and a half, and only Lex had been reaching out to Clark rather than Superman.

“I don’t know,” Clark said with a soft sigh. “I… I really don’t know anymore.”

~o0o~

Enough waiting. Clark ran home before Lois and was waiting outside when she came home. He gave her five minutes to get settled, then followed her in.

She looked up in shock when he opened the door. Clark’s heart sank.

“We need to talk, Lois. You can’t keep avoiding me like this.” Even as he spoke, his eyes scanned her, outside and in. She wasn’t pregnant. And she looked as stressed and worn out as he did.

“Because it’s affecting our work?” she snapped at him.

“Because it’s affecting our marriage,” he countered. “Our lives. Our health.”He leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, the spot she’d chosen the day he’d tried to explain what was happening, had happened, to him.

Her mouth opened, another scathing retort obviously on her tongue. Then she stopped. Turned away.

“Talk to me, Lois. Please. We’ve hardly spoken, even at work, in over a month. I can’t fix this if you don’t talk to me about it.”

“You can’t fix this,” she spat, her hand gesturing at him. “You said there was nothing to fix. Like you’re okay with being all… all….”

“Okay?” Clark let out a bark of laughter. “No, I’m not okay. I came home from saving lives and found my body had rearranged itself while I wasn’t looking. I came home and the woman I love more than life itself was afraid of me. You, who are never afraid, who has never feared my strength, my powers.”

“It’s just so… not…. “

“Not what? Normal? I never thought you wanted normal? Human? You know I’m not human.” The words sent a strange burst of energy through him. Had he ever actually said those words before? He wasn’t sure. “I’m not from around here” had been his favorite hedge when he was younger. When did he last explain himself to someone new?

How would he have said it to Lex if he’d had to?

Lex. Shit, the bugs. A quick scan, one he’d never thought to perform in his own home for some reason, spotted three bugs in the living room, high tech directional recorders. Nothing in the bedroom. Nothing in the bathroom. Two in the kitchen. He could destroy them all in an instant.

Except… why bother? They’d been there for years at this point. Changing the locks wouldn’t stop Lex from adding new ones if he wanted. And they weren’t discussing anything Lex didn’t already know.

“I’m not human, Lois. You’ve always known that. It’s never bothered you before.” Except, now every time he said it, she shuddered. And she still wasn’t looking at him.

“Before you were… weren’t….” She waved a hand at him again.

“It wasn’t visible so it didn’t bother you?” Anger rose in him as she refused to respond, but the pounding of her heart indicated he’d hit the nail on the head. “I’m beginning to wonder if the reason zrhog left their families on Krypton wasn’t because they had a higher calling, but because they were driven away.”

Lois let out a pained cry.

“What do you want me to do, Lois? Because I can’t keep living like this. I can’t keep hiding to save your sensibilities. Talk to me. Can you accept this? Can you?” His voice grew in volume and intensity, but he kept his distance. She shrank away from him anyway.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Do you want to?” he asked her flatly.

She didn’t reply.

Clark swallowed and straightened up, pulling away from the wall. “Think about it. Please. I still love you. I’m still the man you married. Decide if you can deal with this, but you have to face it. I can’t let you hide anymore.”

“Gonna set a deadline, boss?” she asked bitterly.

“A week,” he said. He didn’t want to, didn’t want to set ultimatums. He wanted his wife back, his life back. “If I don’t hear from you by then….”

He couldn’t say it. Any more than she could look at him apparently.

Clark turned and left, flew back to Smallville. Maybe he could find Mom’s apple pie recipe. It had been too long since her kitchen had smelled of baking.

~o0o~

The next day at work did not go smooth. Lois wasn’t looking at him unless forced to, and everyone was starting to notice there was something wrong with the dynamic duo of the Daily Planet. Even Perry was shooting them worried looks. Jimmy kept trying to hover.

The distraction of a phone call was quite welcome.

“Kent.”

“Clark, I hear you might be free this evening.”

Lex. Somehow that figured. “Wondered if you’d end up listening in.”

“You could have stopped me.”

“After, what, a decade? Two? Didn’t see much of a point.”

Lois was starting to give him funny looks, but Clark was happy to ignore her.

“You’re less uptight than you use to be.”

“I’d like to think I’ve matured a little since high school.”

Lex chuckled. “Point. I’d like to think the same of myself. So, you free this evening.”

“Unless Mayor Petravich does something else stupid in the next few hours.”

“Dinner. My place. Seven. And I’ll call Petravich and tell him to behave for the rest of the day.”

“The latter offer is appreciated, but unnecessary. You sure about the former?”

“My cook isn’t quite your mother or Mrs. Pettigrew, but the food’s more than edible.”

“Not what I meant.” Clark had to laugh a little. Mrs. Pettigrew had cooked for Lex back in Smallville after the Palmers left. She couldn’t make toast for some reason, and her baking had issues, but the things she could do with meats. Mmmmm.

“No green rocks, no poisons, no experiments. Just two old friends having dinner and commiserating.”

“Green isn’t the only troubling color.”

Lois blanched a little and was actually leaning closer.

“It isn’t? Maybe you’ll have to be more specific sometime when your pet bulldog isn’t listening in.”

“Pet?”

“Weren’t you hired to leash her all those years ago?”

Clark let out a snort of laughter. “No comment.”

“Oh really…. So, seven?”

“How should I arrive?”

“Front door, I should think.” Lois leaned over and hit the speaker button so the next words were audible to anyone near their desks. “I’ll tell the Secret Service to put your name down with security.” A pointed pause. “Am I on speaker?”

Lois was staring at the phone in shock.

“Lois,” Clark said dryly, “and my phone’s a hunk of junk so I’ll hang up if I try to turn it off.”

“What else is there to say?” 

“Only that I’ll see you at seven. Later.” Clark ended the call.

“Was that Lex Luthor?” Lois hissed across their desks, leaning closer than she had in days.

Clark shrugged.

“Are you have dinner with Lex Luthor?” She leaned onto her desk, moving closer. “Are you mad?”

“Well,” Clark said thoughtfully, then switched to a harsher tone, “you’re not talking to me, Chloe hasn’t called in two years, Pete won’t have anything to do with me, Jimmy and I don’t exactly meet socially, and Lana and I can’t exactly meet for a friendly dinner. So yes, that is Lex Luthor, and yes, I am having dinner with him. If he wants to rekindle an old friendship, why the fuck not?”

Clark slammed his hands into his desk surface, using just enough force to make a good noise but not enough to damage anything, and pushed to his feet. Lois backed off with a wide eyed and panicked look.

“I’m going to lunch.” And just maybe he could manage to find something to research out of the office for the afternoon. He really didn’t feel like coming back today.


	6. A Thought Provoking Dinner

Lex felt himself actually grinning when he opened the door to his penthouse. “You’re running a little late. I was wondering if you’d changed your mind.”

“Nah, your guards just couldn’t believe you’d actually invited a reporter to your lair.” Clark smiled back, and Lex was intrigued to note that, while Clark was wearing one of those awful cheap suits of his, his glasses were in his shirt pocket.

“Not a reporter. A friend.” Lex waved Clark in. “Can I get you a drink?”

Clark rubbed a hand across his forehead, then through his hair, leaving it a riot of dark curls. “This is one of those days I really wish alcohol had an effect on me. Unfortunately…. Got any juice?”

“Never picked up a psychosomatic reaction to alcohol?” Lex teased, remembering their talk about coffee the other day. Really, Lex felt absurdly playful today. Just being around Clark, or thinking about being around Clark, seemed to make the last few decades melt away.

“No. Unfortunately. The only substance that ever effects my mood and behavior is red kryptonite, and I don’t recommend that one for unwinding.” Clark chuckled and lay his coat and tie across the decorative table by the door. With his coat gone and his sleeves rolled up—very nice forearms. Down, Lex—Clark looked rather more… well, Clarkish. 

Lex was just beginning to realize how much he disliked the persona Clark put on to play the bumbling reporter. “It’s a wonder you don’t have MPD,” he muttered to himself as he poured two glasses of orange juice. He’d just add a splash of vodka to his.

“What was that?”

Ah, right, super hearing. “I said, it’s a wonder you don’t have multiple personality disorder with all the pretenses you put on. One look and voice for Superman, another for the bumbling reporter, still another at home with Lois or around old friends from Smallville.” Lex walked up and offered Clark the pure orange juice. “I don’t know how you keep it all straight.”

Clark’s eyes met Lex’s, and seemed to glimmer blue for a moment before settling back on their standard green. “To be honest, some days neither do I.” Clark took the glass and sipped the contents. “Visiting Mom used to help me clear my head on the days it all started to blur, but now….”

Lex made a supportive and understanding noise, and let Clark turn towards the windows. “I sent the cook packing, but dinner is being kept warm in the oven for whenever we’re ready.”

“Smells good,” Clark said offhandedly, his eyes scanning the Metropolis skyline. “Never realized you had such a good view of the Planet from here.”

The giant globe was center stage from the living room. Lex still wondered what he’d been thinking when he’d planned the layout of his personal quarters. There were far too many people in that building that he hated. Most of the time. One less these days.

“So what is it that smells so good?”

Lex had to think a moment to remember. “Pot roast, baked potatoes, rolls, and some kind of vegetable medley. Not too much green, promise.” He distinctly remembered a hatred for peas and a tendency to wince at green. Probably a reflex from tripping over patches of kryptonite back in Smallville.

Clark chuckled. “The sentiment is appreciated. Well, I could eat if you could.”

The pot roast, once removed from the oven, proved to be enormous. 

“I can’t decide if she intends me to eat this for a month or she heard rumors about your appetite,” Lex commented, trying to find the right kind of knife to carve the monstrosity.

~o0o~

Dinner went smoothly. Surprisingly so perhaps. Clark kept waiting for old angers to rear their heads, but the conversation stayed on safe topics. Relatively anyway. Politics would never be a safe topic around Lex, doubly so since he became president. Still, Clark came away with some interesting insights he might weave into a few articles in the near future, and the arguments never passed beyond friendly debate. That was better than Clark managed most days with Lois.

Of course with Lois the arguments led to make up sex, and it all evened out.

It wasn’t until both their plates were clean that Lex leaned back in his chair, studied Clark carefully, and said, “I am sorry about Lois.”

Clark bowed his head and considered his options. Lex had probably heard the entire argument, maybe all their arguments. And oddly enough, Clark didn’t care. “I wish I understood what the problem is.”

Lex pointedly raised an eyebrow the moment Clark raised his head.

“Well, yes, I can make a few assumptions.” Clark pressed a hand to his groin and felt the tentacles shift, exploring the shape of his hand until he pulled away. It still made his skin crawl a bit when that happened. “If I’m having trouble dealing, I can’t blame her for having trouble… but I can’t do anything…. No, more nothing is going to change, for the better or worse, as long as she’s hiding from thinking about it.”

“Is that what she’s doing?”

“That’s how Lois deals with things she doesn’t want to deal with.” Clark let out a bark of dry laughter. Yeah, after knowing her for almost two decades, Clark understood her coping techniques. “This was her reaction to the pregnancy scare before we got together, to her father’s death, to Mom’s death, to finding out her sister was pregnant. Until she’s forced to face it, she won’t.”

“Not very fair to you, under the circumstances.” Lex’s eyes looked sad, their grey pale even in the bright light of the room.

“Nope. I just wish she’d tell me exactly what it is that bothers her so.” Not that Clark wasn’t pretty sure he knew. Lois had married an alien, but she’d only just realized it, viscerally. He should have expected something like this. Back in his teen years he had, but Lois had always been so determined, so confident, so certain that he was the one despite being an alien, that Clark had let himself let go of that expectation. 

And it hurt all the more for coming true now.

Lex sat silently for a moment, then said firmly, “Her loss.” He stood and scooped up his plate and glass. “I’ve got a half decent pie and some truly excellent ice cream for dessert. I propose combining them with mindless action movies. Vin Diesel or Bruce Willis.”

Ah, there was the Lex Clark had known in his youth. He might not always know the right thing to say or do to deal with relationships, but he had excellent suggestions for when you needed to avoid thinking.

Standing and grabbing his own plate, Clark said, “ _Die Hard_?”

“It’s a little early in the season for Christmas movies.”

“It’s not a Christmas movie, it’s a complex robbery flic that includes Christmas. Besides, Alan Rickman looks hot in that suit.” Clark let his tone hit a plaintive, teasing whine.

Lex laughed.

~o0o~

The movie was pleasant. Another flashback to simpler times, though the pie was nowhere near as good as Martha Kent’s. Lex wondered if she’d ever shared her baking tricks with her son.

He looked over at Clark as Hans Gruber finally fell to his death, the question on the tip of his tongue. But it froze there as he realized Clark was twitching and looking more than a little uncomfortable. A quick scan up and down Clark’s body made the cause clear, despite the baggy state of those deplorable suit pants.

“Anxiety, anger, or hormones?” Lex asked softly, fixing his eyes back on the screen to allow Clark some privacy in his reaction.

Clark didn’t reply for a minute, and Lex was willing to let the matter drop, but as the credits began to roll, Clark finally said, “Pardon?”

“You’re looking… twitchy. I’ve found they”—Lex gestured at his own groin with a wry grin, still not looking at Clark—“respond to emotional states. Depression is easy enough to deal with as everything stays quiet, but anger, anxiety, and they start climbing out of my pants the same way my brain wants out of my skin.”

“Huh.”

Lex glanced out of the corner of his eye, and saw Clark looking thoughtful.

“Had any problems in the spandex suit?”

Clark shuddered. “No, thank goodness. I’m usually so focused on what needs doing… I guess that’s helped.”

Lex nodded. “But right now? I hope you’re not angry.”

“No, no.” Clark chuckled, sounding a little self-depreciating. “Nothing like that.”

“Horney then,” Lex said firmly.

Clark turned bright red, the effect quite clear even with the lights dimmed and the TV almost black.

“Hey, I understand.” Lex stood, wandering over to the wet bar at the side of the room. He needed scotch if he was going to keep his own reaction under control. There was a very perverse part of him that wanted inside those cheap slacks, and not just out of scientific curiosity. A nice scotch would help keep his own twitch prone parts quiet until he sent Clark off to Smallville. “Alan Rickman is hot in that suit. And Bruce Willis looks good covered in dirt and blood. Half the appeal of the series right there.”

The red was not fading from Clark’s cheeks. In fact, it seemed to have gotten brighter. And there was now a throw pillow firmly covering his groin.

“Poor, Clark,” Lex purred, leaning back against the wet bar and cocking his hips a bit flirtatiously. “How long has it been?” 

Clark scrubbed a hand through his hair, then both. Then tugged on those black curls with a strength that would have set anyone else screaming.

“Hey, hey. I’m sorry.” Lex walked over, leaning against the back of the couch and touching Clark’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t tease. Just because my marriages usually ended in bloodshed doesn’t mean I should be insensitive.”

Apology was writ across Clark’s face when he looked up, his body leaning back slightly into Lex’s touch. “No, it’s not you. I guess I’m no better than Lois, avoiding thinking about… I don’t even know if I can….”

Lex raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t taken the new equipment for a personal test drive yet?”

“I think I was in the middle of trying when Lois walked in and screamed that first day.” Clark winced at the memory. “I didn’t even know what the process of the change was until… you know, your pictures.” There went the red again. “I think it all happened while I was in Japan. The earthquake.”

“That was almost two months ago.” Lex was appalled. And amazed. Clark really wasn’t human. Almost two months and no playing? Lex’s libido hadn’t taken that hard a hit even after his many near murders by marriage. No, the island, but Lex didn’t think about the island. Ever.

“I hate to say it, but just because Lois can’t manage doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get comfortable with things.” Lex squeezed Clark’s shoulder firmly, then sauntered off to the kitchen to get a glass of milk for his friend. Give the poor alien a moment to process.

“I’m assuming,” Clark said, almost stuttering, as Lex returned, “that from your words… you’ve tried….”

Lex had pity on the poor farmboy. :”Yes, I’ve experimented with self-gratification since I became zrheg.” Then handed over the milk to cool the blush. “Start with the tentacles, or whatever you want to call them.”

“Tentacles seems to work as well as anything,” Clark muttered.

“They like playing with things, tangling around fingers. Try adding some pressure.” Huh, Lex’s cheeks were feeling a little warm now. “Nipples and other erogenous zones seem about normal. But getting to…” Lex sipped his drink and looked for the right words. “Getting to the point of erection seems to take more effort. Eventually, the penis will extend. Don’t know about you, but mine takes after the tentacles more than it used to. Added length. Increased flexibility. It’ll want to play some. But the same general actions seem to have the same general results.”

Clark looked like he was going to set fire to the couch with his cheeks. Or his eyes. Were they red? It was hard to tell in the dim light, but they seemed to be glowing. Lex found himself oddly turned on by that look, even more than the topic of conversation.

Or maybe not so odd. Clark had been a wet dream walking at fifteen. Nothing had changed in the intervening two decades. Except a few things between the legs, apparently.

“Anal stimulation seems similar, but I have no idea how Kryptonians respond to that, so it could be my human heritage.”

Ah, apparently that finally did it. Clark bounced to his feet, almost tripping over the coffee table. Might have even used his powers of flight to keep from smashing into the extremely expensive, hand crafted wood table.

If Clark had crushed it, Lex would have considered it money well spent.

“I should… I should go,” Clark stuttered, fumbling his way to the door.

“I’m sorry. I pushed too hard.” Lex tried to sound apologetic, but he couldn’t quite keep the teasing out of his tone. Really, when had he last so lost control. “I hope… I hope I haven’t driven you off for good.” That last bit Lex really meant.

Clark turned back, cheeks still red, but smiling. “No, not for good. I just… need a bit of time to process. Like I said, I’ve been avoiding as much as Lois.” The smile shifted to a smirk. “Time to fix that.”

Lex liked the image that conjured. “Makes me wish I had cameras in the farmhouse.” He kept the words to a low mutter, but Clark’s widening eyes made it clear he’d heard.

“Shit…” Glowing eyes slammed shut just as Lex started feeling oddly warm. “Sorry. Haven’t lost control like that in… since Desree.”

Lex frowned, contemplating. Desree, so age sixteen, heat wave, mysterious fires. “You set fire to the Talon,” he said as he made the connection.

Clark looked contrite, but his eyes were still glowing, deep red coals in the shadows, when he opened them. “Amongst other things. Thought I’d gotten it disconnected from my libido, but… I think I’ll head out now. Wouldn’t do to set fire to your penthouse.”

Lex moved closer. He couldn’t seem to resist. Didn’t quite want to. “If you must.” Close enough to touch.

It was Clark who reached out, hand cupping Lex’s cheek. “Not quite sure what we’re both doing tonight.”

“Hmm,” Lex hummed, leaning into Clark’s touch. “Neither am I.”

“Don’t think either of us is ready though.”

Lex sighed, and stepped back. “You may have a point.” The night might have felt like a flashback to Smallville, but many years had passed since then. Still, he wasn’t quite inclined to let go of the possibility. “Still, something to consider?”

“Hmm?” Clark’s fingers hovered in the air another moment. “I think… I’ll definitely consider.”


	7. Conflict and Conjunction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I should mention that I am posting this as I write it with little in the way of editing an no beta. Someday maybe I'll go back and make changes and corrections, but for right now I'm just trying to get this bit of insanity out of my head. Sorry for any errors that slip in. If anyone wants to point them out, I'll try and go fix them.

Clark flew back to Smallville with his heart pounding and his pants starting to rip from the pressure. He hadn’t expected such a reaction to a quiet movie, but somehow it seemed confronting Lois had pushed him out of the depression he’d been in since the change. And Lex’s discussion of… whew, damn, and wow.

Having the farmhouse to himself was going to be a very good thing. Nothing short of a massive natural disaster was going to get Superman’s attentions tonight.

Perverse curiosity with regards to Lex had Clark scanning the house for bugs once he stepped through the front door. He found sound recorders scattered across the ground floor, but none upstairs. And no video cameras. 

“Add cameras and I will pull them,” Clark muttered, right next to the bug by the couch. Then he wandered upstairs, shedding his rumpled suit and blue suit, to stand before the full size mirror in his parents’ room.

When he first reached the mirror, his tentacles were twitching out, searching, but after a minute they settled down and curled around each other. When the blasted things were quiescent, he really didn’t look all that much different than he did before Japan. Well, the double bulge of his testicles was gone, and that was definitely different. But it didn’t seem to stand out as different in the suit, so Clark refused to worry about it much. This was how he was now. Though it was different enough he’d been avoiding the urinals at work, or in public. Someone was going to point out his new deepened shyness at some point. That’d be fun. Not. 

Sliding a hand down his abs, his fingers followed the trail of hair over defined muscles he never had to work to develop to the curve of the top most tentacle. He’d never had much hair at his groin, a difference from most humans in his limited experience, and it looked like what he’d had was thinning. Only a few scattered hairs remained in the area between his legs, and he found that discovery rather… arousing. The images from Lex’s photographs during the change came to mind, his entire body smooth and hairless, and Clark’s tentacles were now anything but quiescent.

Running his hand down a little further, he wrapped his and around the base of the mass, squeezing gently and pulling down like he would have his cock in years past, the tentacles sliding together and around each other smoothly. Not quite the same sensation, but it did feel good. He felt each individual member separately, a different line of pleasure shooting through him. Before he got to the end, the smaller, inner tentacles slipped out of the bundle and tangled with his fingers, squeezing, massaging. That felt even better.

For the first time, the feeling of movement not entirely under his control didn’t make his skin crawl. Even at dinner it had felt wrong when the tentacles shifted, but now….

Clark gently pulled his hand away from his groin, letting the clinging tentacles slide off, and was slammed with a painful realization. There was one time previous when he hadn’t been disturbed by his new physiology. The first day, after his shower, before Lois came home.

He closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror, rubbing a hand through his hair as he considered. No, that day he’d just been curious, intrigued, and it had felt good to play with his new attributes. The fear, the discomfort, had only come after Lois started screaming. J’onn had long ago told Clark that he had a small degree of telepathy, untrained, mostly receptive. It was a weak enough ability that Clark had never bothered to do anything about developing it, but J’onn had warned him there was a chance that the thoughts and emotions of those closest to him might influence his thoughts and emotions if he wasn’t careful. Given Clark had maintained a friendship with Lex Luthor for years despite the constant and verbal disgust of his father and other friends, Clark had discounted the concern.

Now, he had to wonder if just maybe his constant fear of telling Lex the truth had more basis than a teenager’s neurosis. 

This also probably confirmed that his marriage was over. If Lois could project that much hatred and disgust….

“Shit.”

No more thinking. Clark wanted a nice orgasm and some sleep. He’d face Lois and the rest of reality in the morning.

Except he didn’t make it two steps toward his bedroom before the phone downstairs began to ring. He was tempted to ignore it, but there weren’t many who’d know to call the farmhouse, and there was a chance it was Lex responding to his earlier comment.

Clark smiled as he sped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then ran downstairs and grabbed the phone.

“Kent residence.”

“Clark? Thank goodness.”

“Chloe?” Okay, he hadn’t expected to hear that voice. “Why are you calling me at… eleven o’clock at night?”

“I’ve been calling every hour all evening since you cell phone was off. I got the weirdest call from Lois. She said you were having dinner with Luthor.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “If I’d know this is what it would take to get you to call, I would have asked Lex to talk to me years ago.” Okay, that came out a bit harsh, but really, she hadn’t called in two years. And he had. She even ignored him at Justice League meetings.

“Okay, okay, I’m a horrid friend.”

_No, really?_

“But can’t I worry about my dear friend walking into the lion’s den?”

“Lion’s den?” Clark laughed. “Bull.”

“Lex is your arch nemesis.”

“Maybe he was, but we’ve had a cease fire for years. He hasn’t tried to kill me since he started campaigning for president… and never tried very hard before that.” Honestly, Clark had come closer to killing Lex on several occasions while they were friends than Lex had to killing Clark after he became Superman.

“Is that any reason to have dinner with him?”

“What is it you’re really worried about, Chloe?”

“I’m worried about you. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Good lord, what did Lois say to you?”

“That you’d had a fight, and you’d countered by making dinner plans with Lex. How did you two make contact anyway?”

“A fight?” Oh that was the understatement of the year. “Chloe, my marriage is falling apart, and no, I’m not ready to talk about it. Lex found out, and oddly enough just offered dinner and an evening away from the insanity of my life. We ate dinner. Watched a movie.” _Talked about masturbation._ “I went home. No green rocks, no red rocks, no weirdness.” _Nothing I’d talk to you about anyway._

“How did Lex know? Is he stalking you again?”

“We ran into each other last week, got to talking. What does it matter?”

“It matters if he’s gearing up a new campaign to kill you.” She sounded so earnest, so eager, so concerned.

So fake.

“You know, I admitted my marriage is falling apart, and you’re still talking about Lex.”

Chloe paused for a moment, something she only did when she had to backtrack the conversation and figure out what you were talking about. Nice to know how closely she was listening. “You said you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“That didn’t used to stop you.”

She sighed. “Why is your marriage falling apart?”

“Ask Lois,” he snapped. “It’s her issue.”

“And you responded by making friends with Lex Luthor?”

“And just who else was I supposed to discuss the matter with? Hmm? You? Pete?”

“Oliver? Bruce?”

“I like having a life outside of the JLA, even if you don’t. In fact, I do believe that’s the last thing we discussed before you stopped. Talking. To. Me! Why don’t you go back to ignoring me?”

“She said something happened to you, something changed. I thought she meant the whole Lex thing, but now I’m wondering….”

“Wonder away. I’m not discussing it with you.” God, no, never. He was not discussing changes in his genitals with Chloe. Ever.

“Clark, I’m worried about you.”

“Good for you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work in the morning and some sleep to catch up on.”

“You don’t need that much sleep.”

“Since you haven’t been around lately, you have no idea what I need. Good night, Chloe.”

“Wait, Clark….”

Clark heard that much of her protest before he hung up the phone. Five seconds later it started to ring again. He picked it up, and immediately hung up again. The phone rang.

This time he ignored it and walked barefoot to the barn. The phone line out to the barn had been chewed up by squirrels years ago and Clark hadn’t bothered to repair it. He could still hear the phone, but at this distance it was easy enough to tune it out like every other scream, screech, and cry he could hear in the whole world.

Scanning his old loft, he was amused to note three bugs, all the same high quality ones as in the house and his apartment. He was less amused to find a fourth, much lower quality, hidden in his musty old couch. Pulling that one out, he noticed the micro etched JLA logo before crushing it into dust. 

He’d be having a long talk with Batman about privacy in the near future. Or Chloe. 

Destroying Lex’s bugs crossed his mind, but he decided not to. If Lex listened in, it was his punishment for teasing Clark so. Or his reward. Clark wasn’t quite sure which, and right now he didn’t want to think about it. He just wanted to feel for a little bit.

The weather was warm enough, and the likelihood of company relatively slim, so Clark skinned out of his clothes and lay them across the back of the couch before laying down on the dusty cushions. The dips and mounds of the padding had long since calcified, but were perfectly matched to Clark's lines after so many years doing just this.

His left hand wandered back down his chest to play with the now quiet tentacles. Talking to Chloe had killed his arousal for the moment, but they were eager to play after a few strokes down the cluster. His right hand went for his nipples, light teasing touches that bypassed his invulnerable tendency to not feel pain. 

Clark preferred female lovers, though he’d had a few male ones in his early years in Metropolis, because they tended to have a lighter touch. He could feel arousal in a light touch, or one so heavy most people would be in agony, but in between the sensation seemed dulled by his abilities.

Lois had always struggled a little producing a light enough touch to really get him going, but she was such a hellcat in bed that sometimes her actions could trigger him on the other end of the scale. It was easy enough to do himself, but tonight he wanted gentleness.

Light touches across his nipples drew them up. A slightly firmer touch against his tentacles, especially the inner three, set him gasping. He tried to pull away, to clear his head a moment and remember what else Lex had suggested, but apparently he didn’t want to stop because his tentacles held tight. He’d never considered his hand an erogenous zone, but the ripples against his palm, the firm massage of his fingers, the tight grip around his wrist all seemed to produce bursts of pleasure.

He moved his left hand down now, massaging the base of each tentacle in turn until he reached the center of the cluster, and found a small opening. His penis, now retractable, lurked inside, and he slid a finger in to touch and explore. Fireworks burst behind his eyes and the air left his lungs in a vibrant moan. That was definitely more sensitive than it had been.

Gentle touches coxed the retractable member out, and soon tentacles joined hands in massaging and caressing. God, it all felt so good. What would a few more tentacles added to the mix feel like, or tangling his flexible cock with another?

The idea, followed by the image of Lex before him, reaching out to him, sent Clark over the edge in a blinding instant.

~o0o~

Lex tried to settle down, to curl up in his own room and get some sleep, but his obsessive tendencies and extreme curiosity sent him to his office within an hour.

File sizes indicated there was something to listen to, and a sense of anticipation made Lex choose to run the audio files in parallel rather than checking out the transcripts. Clark’s threat about the cameras gathered a giggle, and produced a warm feeling deep in Lex’s chest. Clark new Lex would listen, just as he’d known Lex would hear the argument with Lois, and he didn’t seem to mind.

The phone conversation was more frustrating. Lex had a bug near the phone, but had not tapped the line so he only heard bits of Chloe’s arguments. He didn’t like the sound of any of it. Poor Clark. And to think it had once been Lex who couldn’t get any support in his life. 

He was considering ways to hack the JLA’s database and cause havoc with Chloe’s stock in trade when the bugs in the barn activated. Memories and fantasies of many years ago burst through Lex’s brain. Activating the live feeds, he thought his brain might actually burst at the sound of Clark’s first groan.

One thing Lex had never before allowed himself was the sound of Clark’s pleasure. Lex had specifically ordered no bugs in the bedrooms and bathrooms of either apartment or farmhouse, and had always used the transcripts to ensure he didn’t listen in on anything between Clark and Lois. Obsessed or not, that was a level Lex Luthor did not stoop to.

Today he couldn’t make himself turn the feeds off. His penis was pressing hard against the zipper of his slacks after less than a minute of Clark’s breathy gasps. Ripping his pants open, Lex curled down in the chair, his face brushing the end of his now fully extended cock, the length stretching, reaching, for something that wasn’t in the room. Or rather, someone.

“God, Clark,” Lex moaned, but he didn’t hear his own voice, his ears focused on the soft noises of pleasure coming from his computer speakers. It was probably a good thing Clark was all the way out in Smallville. If he’d been in town, even miles away, Lex might have done something stupid, like drive over and throw himself at Clark. Lex hadn’t wanted anyone this badly in years.

At some point he was going to have to sit back and thing about all the possible factors of the attraction, consider the ramifications of following through, decide what to do about Lois and how to manage the JLA—idiots, the lot of them. But for right now, all Lex wanted to focus on was Clark.

Warm, heavy muscles, light spattering of hair. Was there more on his chest? Any at his groin? Did he have the same number of tentacles? Oh, tentacle on tentacle, the gentle pressure, smooth slide….

“Oh god. Lex!”

The words sent Lex right over the edge despite barely touching himself. In fact, his hands only came out to support his new genitals as they slowly retracted after orgasm, shivering under the force of each heaving breath that followed the explosion. But Lex didn’t notice that, didn’t notice the silence of the computer or the mess covering his clothes. Only one thing filled Lex’s mind.

_He was thinking of me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, the first of the porny bits. I promise there will be more, if only because this idea is at heart tentacle porn. The plot is all because I can't seem to help myself. Comments and suggestions on reactions, interactions, and descriptions are welcome because my porn usually isn't very explicit and this was damned hard to write. I just hope was was decent.


	8. Telepathic and Empathic Feedback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely happy with this one, and it's all too serious, but let's run with it for now. I want to get back to the fun stuff. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Might even use them in rewrites.

Clark woke up with a sticky lap and a smile on his face in the cool twilight before dawn. He’d had a short night, but it was the best night’s sleep he’d had in… oh, months. If not years.

He wondered if Lex had listened in on his late night private entertainment.

A hot shower, a change of clothes, and a quick flight brought Clark into work bright and early. If he was really lucky, he could get some serious research done before Lois got in, maybe even get ordered out to a press conference or city council meeting.

He was not that lucky.

Lois’ emotions hit him upside the head the moment she entered the building. Anger. Disgust. Fear. Dedication.

The last one wasn’t so bad, but the rest hurt. 

“Clark,” Lois hissed as soon as the elevator doors opened. “We need to talk.” She fixed her eyes on him as she walked across the room to their joined desks.

“About what?” Clark asked once she was close enough to hear him. “Because if this is about my dinner plans for last night…?”

“Chloe told me she talked tried to talk to you after.” She loomed over him, or tried to. Clark was less than impressed. Except her mental presence was all over him, smothering him.

“I have no desire to listen to you or her go on a tirade against all things Luthor at the moment. When it was clear that was all she wanted to talk about, I hung up.”

“You didn’t give her a chance.”

“Is that what she said to you?” Clark raised a pointed eyebrow. “Given you told her we’d ‘had an argument’ maybe you were both lying to each other.” 

Lois stiffened, her spine straightening in indignation. Anger flared towards him, and embarrassment. Her mouth opened, then closed as she stared over his shoulder. “Maybe we should talk somewhere else.”

Clark huffed, then stood and led the way to the conference room without a word. Once they were both inside and he’d shut the door firmly in the face of their curious workmates, he turned to Lois and crossed his arms.

She just stared at him. And radiated such anger and disgust. It was like standing behind a jet engine, only Clark had no problem standing up against winds.

“You wanted to talk,” he prompted. He needed to get out of here before her emotions made him ill. His stomach was already churning.

“What happened last night?”

“We ate pot roast and watched _Die Hard_.”

“Why…? You and Luthor. I don’t get it.”

“Why not? We were friends years ago. What’s wrong with touching base with an old friend?”

“Besides years of enmity and trying to kill each other?” Lois hissed the words, exaggerating her lip movements oddly so that anyone looking in the glass wall would have trouble understanding.

Clark just rolled his eyes. 

“You’ve changed.”

Ah, there was the crux of the matter. Clark leaned back against the table, putting a few more inches between them and weakening the pressure of her disgust and anger. It didn’t help much. “An interesting observation. I wonder what exactly you’re referring to.”

“This… Luthor…,” Lois spat. “You wouldn’t have been having dinner with him a few months back.” Her emotions battered his skin, trying to sink hooks into him. Viscera and muscles crawled under the onslaught.

Keeping his tone level was a challenge, but years of practice as Superman made it possible. “Hmm, I’m not so sure. If he’d offered, I think I might have gone for it. I liked being Lex’s friend. But it’s hard to say for sure. He did catch me at a weak moment.”

Her emotions surged, excitement, confidence. “There, he’s using you. Manipulating you. You admit it. What was in the box?”

“Lex is not manipulating me,” Clark said flatly through gritted teeth. “But I’m thinking you’re trying to.”

Lois took a step back, planted her hand on her chest and plastered an innocent look on her face. The embarrassment she projected contradicted every action.

“Yes, you. Really, Lois, what’s the problem? That I’m making plans without you? That I’m not a completely miserable mess anymore? I think the real problem isn’t that I changed, but that you can’t deal…” Tears built in his eyes as conflicting emotions rolled over him. That was it. He was out of here, and contacting J’onn stat for lessons in mental control. Dealing with Lois like this was impossible. “Think about it, Lois. Stop reacting and think.”

He pushed past her, almost gaging when touching her seemed to slap him with her mental state. She was even more of a mess than he was, impossible as that seemed. But he soldiered on and made it out the door into the main floor. He strode straight towards the elevator. He’d call in and apologize to Perry later.

“Going back to Luthor?” Everyone had already been tracking the goings on in the conference room, so Lois’ words echoed through the nearly silent space for all to hear.

Clark froze, took a deep breath, and turned back to face her. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Kent!” 

Perry’s bellow broke the standoff. Clark was relieved to turn and walk into Perry’s office, doubly so when Perry firmly shut the door in Lois’ face.

“Sit.”

Clark did, watching Perry through wary eyes.

“You two are having troubles.”

“You just noticed?” Clark couldn’t hold back the sarcasm. He could still feel Lois and was ready to crawl out of his skin.

“I don’t appreciate you brining your problems into work. Do I need to break you two up? I don’t want to. You do good work together.”

“I don’t know,” Clark admitted. “I’ve been trying… it sounds so petty, but she started it.”

“I’m finishing it.”

“All yours.” Clark waved at the door and Lois looming beyond.

Perry closed the blinds in her face.

“Petrovich is having another press conference. Stay home after and email me the article when it’s done. I’ll talk to her in the meantime.”

“I might take a few days off, head out to Smallville and clear my head. Maybe give her time to clear hers.” And talk to J’onn and get enough control to be able to face her.

“Let me know,” Perry said, nodding. “I can give you some offsite assignments too. If you need a little longer. But you’ll need to be in Metropolis for those.”

“Thank you, Chief.”

“Don’t thank me. I need my two best reporters back up to snuff. This is getting absurd. Lois hasn’t produced anything decent in almost two months. Oh, it’s publishable, but it’s not up to her true standard.”

Clark sighed. “Sounds about right. I’m really sorry about this.”

“Did you do something to set this off?”

“Depends on your definition of ‘do’. I was the trigger, but it was out of my control.”

“That could be clearer.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop being sorry and do something. Get out of here. You have a press conference to attend.”

Clark jumped to his feet. “Right away, Chief.” The order was an easy one to follow, for many reasons. He bolted out the door, ignoring Lois’ attempt to get his attention. She was quickly distracted by a bellow of “Lane” from Perry.

~o0o~

Clark called Lex from the steps of City Hall after the press conference let out.

“Didn’t expect to hear from you during the day,” Lex drawled.

“Did you hear from me in the night?” Clark teased.

A sharp indrawn breath was an excellent answer.

“You voyeur you.”

“If you didn’t want me to listen….”

“No comment.”

“Reporters.”

Clark chuckled. Then paused and took a deep breath. “I may be away for a few days. I didn’t want you to think I panicked and ran.”

Lex’s voice became very serious. “You usually don’t get much warning for the big stuff.”

“Nothing like that. I think I tripped over another facet of our mutual condition last night....” Clark let out a small pained groan. Shit. He could feel Lois getting closer. She was angry, so angry. What had Perry told her?

“Hang on, I might lose reception.” Clark stepped into an alley and took off as fast as his feet could take him. He didn’t stop until the warehouse district. It was a dangerous thing to do, running and talking on the phone at the same time. If someone were tracking his cell tower relays it could mean trouble. But today he didn’t care. Amazingly, the phone stayed connected.

“Sorry.”

“What was that?” Lex demanded.

“Lois got too close. I can’t… something changed last night. I need to get a second opinion.”

“Not one of your do-gooding idiot friends.”

Clark could hear someone else in Lex’s office expressing concern over Lex’s tone. They both ignored the interruption.

“J’onn was a friend of my father’s. He might have some insight. And the problem is in his area of expertise.” Clark really didn’t want to be more explicit over the phone. Lex had done his best to buck the trend, but the government still had too many fingers in all forms of media and communication in the name of ‘national security.’

“Hmm,” Lex murmured thoughtfully. “But what will he do with the knowledge.”

“Nothing,” Clark said firmly. And mostly believing it. “Secrets are his stock, but never his trade.”

Lex snickered. “Fine, but stay away from Oliver.”

“Not a problem.”

“And Chloe. She doesn’t deserve you.”

Clark smiled. “Keep me on the entry list with your over budget security?”

“As long as you keep considering.”

“Done.”

~o0o~

Unfortunately, the first person Clark saw when he arrived at the JLA satellite was Chloe. As with Lois, he could feel little tendrils of distrust nudging at him from her direction. Looking back, he realized he’d felt the same thing from her quite often over the years they’d known each other, and every time he’d seen her since their last argument. He just hadn’t been as aware.

“Superman?”

“Watchtower.” Clark walked past her, heading for the main control room. Someone in there would know where J’onn was, or be able to contact him.

“Superman. Come on. We need to talk.”

“I’d believe that more if you hadn’t been ignoring me for the last two years.” Chloe was right in his heels, so Clark turned and hissed the next line into her ear. “You didn’t dump me this solidly after Jimmy died.”

Her blue eyes looked up at him in shock.

“Oh, by the way, was that your bug in my couch?”

“What? Bug? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She was lying. Clark could feel her dishonesty crawling across his skin. But why there and only there? Shit, he’d have to check everywhere he could think of to figure out what she was up to.

“Maybe it was Luthor. You know you can’t trust him.”

“Back off, Watchtower,” Clark snarled. “Sort out your own motivations before trying to make sense of mine.”

~o0o~

Clark sent word to J’onn that he needed to talk to the Martian, then holed up in his office. There was JLA paperwork to do, leadership red tape to keep an eye on, and his article to write for Perry.

None of that took much time. By the time J’onn arrived, Clark was about ready to give up and go visit Lex. At least he’d enjoy himself, even if he wasn’t sure if it were his emotions in the dominant position. 

“I sense a shift in circumstances. What do you desire of me?” J’onn asked, closing the door behind him.

“I’d think you’d know exactly what’s up.” Clark gestured at the chair by his desk.

Interestingly, J’onn shook his head. “Your shields have improved immensely, even to my gifts. You will have to explain or permit me entrance to your mind.”

 _”Enter freely,”_ Clark projected. He’d rather have this conversation mentally than risk Chloe tapping into some system and listening in. Letting go the panicked need to keep his mind closed against the likes of Lois and Chloe was harder to do, but Clark eventually felt J’onn’s mind weaving into his, the touch more noticeable than ever before.

 _“The changes are more extensive than I had realized.”_

_“You have no idea. Are you familiar with the Kryptonian state of zrhog?”_

J’onn frowned, but nodded. _“The wise ones. The bringers of balance.”_

 _“I… ah… am now zrhog.”_ Clark ran a nervous hand through his hair, mussing things enough he’d have to fix it all later.

_“I had heard rumors that zrhog and zrheg had greater telepathic powers than general Kryptonians. That could explain the change I sense.”_

_“Well, I’m also starting to believe you on the psychic influence thing. The last few weeks have been… strange.”_ Clark really didn’t want to believe his self-image had been so influenced by Lois’ projections, but it did rather explain the disgust he’d felt in his own body of late. Looking back, which he didn’t really want to do, he could see other examples, from urges to change his costume as the Blur to how he suddenly accepted his mother’s costume idea. _“Last night, something seemed to snap, or correct, and now I can feel people reaching out to me with their thoughts and emotions. It hurts.”_

_“I have seen links within your mind in times past, to those you were closest with. I can show these to you, help you learn to control the creation and destruction of such bonds.”_

_“Please. And I think I need to learn better shielding. I’ve always been so opaque before.”_

_”You have always been more sensitive than you realized. You assumed you were opaque because the boy child you befriended found you so.”_

J’onn’s presence in Clark’s mind began to prickle and pluck as J’onn looked around. It felt… surreal.

_”You have severed all emotional bonds save one, perhaps because of becoming zrhog, but I sense… that they have weakened since your mother’s passing.”_

Clark followed a mental nudge and closed his eyes. Somehow J’onn brought up a mental landscape, sharing his view of Clark’s mind. Waving, as if in a wind, were several colorful lines extending up from the ‘ground’ to different heights. Moving closer, Clark ‘touched’ the long, dark blue line, and had a sense of his father. Red, longer still, felt of his mother. Other, shorter lines had flavors of Chloe, Lana, Pete, even Lex. Off to the side sat a twisted cable leading off into the distance, tied to Kon. That one Clark could feel a response in when he touched, rather than just the memory of emotions now separated from their owner.

The biggest, most jagged, and shortest stub carried everything he loved of Lois, coated in a prickly layer of abject disgust.

_“I am sorry for the collapse of your marriage.”_

_“It seems she cannot accept the physical changes that come with zrhog. How much influence could these bonds have had on me?”_

_“I have always sensed the flavor of Jonathan Kent’s influence within you.”_

Stains of blue spread across the mental landscape, intermixed with patches of red. They were firm, fixed, embedded. Overlaying the entire mindscape were shades of honey-brown, the color of Lois’ hair. The latter were fading as Clark watched. 

_“While many of these bonds have snapped by death or mutual distance, it seems you intentionally snapped your connection to Lois. Her influence will continue to fade unless you seek to create another bond. If you do, you will likely have more control over the degree of influence.”_

_“I need to learn that control. She kept trying to sink hooks back into me this morning.”_

_“Her mind, whether she is aware or not, is used to the connection with you. It will continue to try to reconnect until she adjusts.”_

_“How long…? I mean, I could feel it with Chloe too, and the break of that bond seems older.”_

J’onn seemed to stroke the pale blue of Chloe’s broken bond, sending echoes of her presence through the mindscape. _“Weakened, yes. Her distance, your many difficulties, the argument. If you look here, you can see the last jagged break. This was recent.”_

Last night. Clark was almost certain, when Chloe called it had snapped. He’d clung to the hope she’d get back in touch so long, but last night had made him so mad. All she cared about was destroying Lex, and refused to consider there might be no need.

 _”We can smooth out what has been left behind, though the influence cannot be erased. This one, however, shows signs of regrowth.”_ The feel of Lex resonated across Clark’s mind with a greater strength than Chloe had, despite the smaller size of the lavender bond, barely more than a thread.

 _“I wondered.”_ Clark had. After last night, with how fast he and Lex had connected again, with how he felt this morning when Lois tried to get close, Clark had wondered if something like this was an influence. _“I have to know that I’m making rational decisions with regards to him, not being influenced.”_

_“The details of the situation are outside my keen. You are both part of the Uchahvia, and those bonds were not discussed beyond the walls of their holdings. What influence you both might have subconsciously or consciously on each other can only be learned through experience.”_

_“Can you teach me control, how to choose? And can I teach him?”_

_“These are bonds of love. You have always been free to choose.”_

Clark wondered, but he didn’t say so explicitly. 

_“Have some confidence. You are stronger than you think. But I do not know if you can teach him. A human zrheg. Who knows the extent of the changes and abilities? You can try, and if you need to, I will teach him and keep his secrets as I do yours.”_

Clark was humbled by J’onn’s dedication. He could feel it radiating through his mindscape where J’onn’s mind currently overlapped. _“Thank you. I will extend the offer.”_

 _” This one remains firm.”_ J’onn tapped Kon’s tangled cable. Clark could see the Luthor lavender as well as Kent blue tangled together in that bond. _”I can sever it if you wish to start fresh.”_

Clark looked at the one bond he hadn’t severed in the convulsions of the last months, or years perhaps. _”No. He is both brother and son. I would learn to smooth out the others, but that one I will keep as it is. With Kon, I know the influence has always been equal and mutual.”_

_”Quite possibly. Shall we begin?”_


	9. Bugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A correction to my previous note on date of story. I forgot to take into account that the next presidential election after Lex turned 35 wouldn't be until 2016. So, elected 2016, sworn in 2017, 8 years in office, 2 years retired, so it is currently 2027 or so.

Lex sat on his extremely comfortable couch, ignoring the TV. Instead, all his focus is on his hands. Normally pale and elegant, they shook like the hands of an addict in withdrawal. 

The shaking had started that morning, during a board meeting that had fortunately not run long. At that point he’d been able to push it aside, firming his stance and holding his arms more stiffly. But as the day progressed, the shiver had gotten worse. By lunchtime he was having trouble holding his fork. Not that he’d had an appetite. The nausea had hit about the same time his salad had arrived. Dinner wasn’t even on the horizon now, and shoving his hands in his pockets only made his arms shake. He wasn’t sure if he was lightheaded because of the lack of food or because it was another symptom. Why was this happening?

If he were a drug addict, or an alcoholic, this would make some sense. But his enhanced metabolism hadn’t allowed him to get hung-over, let alone addicted, from age nine. Since Zod, he had trouble even getting drunk.

Actually, that made sense. He was more Kryptonian since Zod, and Clark couldn’t get drunk at all. Probably the changes had enhanced the function of his liver. Too bad Dad hadn’t known about that. Actually, probably a very good thing Dad had never known about that. He’d done dumb enough stuff with Clark’s blood.

Still, that line of thought did nothing to explain why Lex was rapidly falling apart.

In the blink of an eye, the shaking stopped. The nausea faded. And his skin prickled all over like the blood flow had just been restored. It itched.

Someone knocked on the penthouse door.

The itch got stronger as he walked to the door. He was barely resisting the urge to scratch his own skin off by the time he pulled the door open, distantly hoping that his security was as good as it claimed because he was in no fit state to fight back if the person knocking was here to kill him.

And yes, that had happened before. Not recently, but Luthor or President, he had enemies.

“Clark!” Lex hadn’t been sure when to expect his friend to get back—his friend, that sounded good— and was delighted to see him even if Lex wanted to claw his skin off at the moment.

“Lex, sorry to bother you this evening, but we need to talk.” Clark was smiling and looking friendly, but also looked as twitchy as Lex felt, his shoulders hunched more than usual under his cheap suit. 

Lex’s hand reached out before he realized it, wrapping around Clark’s, which was still extended toward the door.

The itching stopped.

Well shit. Apparently three days apart was too long.

Interesting.

“Umm, sorry, seems we have more to talk about than I thought.” Clark smiled sheepishly and shifted his shoulders with every appearance of relief. “Can I come in?”

“Right, of course.” Lex stepped aside and tried to release Clark, but that large hand just held tight as Clark came inside and closed the door behind himself.

Then Clark leaned closer. His lips brushed Lex’s ear as he said, “Did you know your penthouse is bugged?”

Caught up in the amazing feeling of Clark brushing against him, Lex almost missed the meaning completely. Then the words sunk in. He snarled, then forced the irritation to the back of his mind, a well-practiced technique. After all, it wouldn’t have been done for the president to take a nine iron to the White House. Or a foreign ambassador.

He’d only come close twice that first year.

He wasn’t admitting to a number after that.

Taking a deep breath, Lex leaned in a little more. “Do you think we can separate long enough for you to dispose of them?” When he leaned back, Clark was a vivid shade of red. But, Clark nodded, and released Lex’s hand, before disappearing in a blur of ugly wool.

Lex pulled his cell from his pocket and speed dialed the head of his Secret Service security staff.

Clark reappeared as the phone was still ringing, a decent sized pile of slag in his hands.

“Find out who is responsible for checking my penthouse for bugs,” Lex barked into the phone the instant the line connected, not waiting for Ben Miles to actually say anything. “My office too. Then check my office for bugs and start a new background check on whoever’s supposed to be checking.”

“President Luthor?”

Lex ignored the implied confusion and covered the mouthpiece with a finger. “Any idea who or how long?” he asked, nodding towards the slag in Clark’s hands.

“Batman in the office and living room, JLA in the livingroom, kitchen… and bedroom.” Clark started looking a little red in the iris again, making Lex wonder if anger was another trigger for Kryptonian heat vision. “She put a camera in your bedroom.”

“Look for connections to the JLA, known associates, Chloe Queen, nee Sullivan, and…” Lex paused and met Clark’s eyes carefully. “Lois Lane.”

Clark nodded, looking both pained and resigned. “Only a hint of dust, so they’re new,” he whispered.

“I’ll want information when I call back.”

Miles must have finally gotten his head together, because he had the sense to just snap, “Yes, Mr. President,” and hung up before Lex could.

Lex walked over to Clark and picked up the melted hunk of metal he held. “Camera?” he asked as he studied the mess. Nothing about the mass indicated just what it had been made of. Maybe he’d put it on his desk as a paperweight. It would make for an interesting conversation piece if Chloe ever came by… fuck that, Chloe was never getting anywhere near him ever again. 

“One in the entry way too. Sorry. I should have realized that one wasn’t just audio before I leaned in.” Clark looked adorably sheepish.

“You realize if she took pictures of me in the bedroom….” A sour feeling built in Lex’s stomach at the idea of anyone having seen him nude the last few days. Now that he’d kicked his scientists back to their other projects, he preferred to keep his condition private. “I will have to destroy her if anything that can be tied back to her goes public.”

“I’ll stop her before it gets to that,” Clark vowed.

“You’d better.” Damn it, Lex’s hands were starting to shake again. 

Clark lightly gripped Lex’s hand, and the shaking stopped. 

“I’d like to send you to deal with Chloe and Bruce….” 

Clark blanched a little, then shook his head. “Of course you know. Are there any of us you don’t have complete dossiers on?”

Lex just smirked. He was pretty sure the answer was no, but better not to give specifics away.

“We need to talk first. I’ll get Bruce to deal with Chloe. In a bit. Actually….” Clark smirked. “Can I borrow your phone?”

Lex handed over his cell, curiosity itching in the back of his mind. That was easier to deal with than the itch of getting too far from Clark for too long.

Clark dialed a number he must have had memorized. Then pulled Lex closer as it rang. Despite being close enough for Clark’s warmth to be dancing across Lex’s skin, he still couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the line.

“Hello, Clark Kent calling. Is Bruce going to be around this evening? … Yes, please let him know I need to speak with him. … A few hours probably. … Yes, that’d be fine. … Thank you, Alfred.”

He hung up and handed the phone back to Lex.

“You do realize that Alfred probably has the best system around for checking phone records?” Lex asked, tucking his phone back in his pocket. He should have pulled away, but he didn’t want to. Closer was far more appealing than moving away.

“I’m counting on it,” Clark replied blandly, wrapping an arm around Lex’s waist and pulling him flush, chest to chest. “I’m making a point.”

Lex smirked and slipped his arms around Clark’s waist. “It appears I’m rubbing off on you after all.”

Clark flushed bright red, but didn’t release his grip. “Um… Not… not just yet.” His eyes danced to the side, looking anywhere but Lex’s face. “I can’t… not while Lois… I mean, I’m still married.”

It was hard to resist, but Lex pressed his forehead to Clark’s shoulder to prevent the temptation to press his lips to Clark’s mouth. “I know,” he whispered into Clark’s crappy suit.

“Right now we… we need to… I mean… I’m really sorry.” Clark’s arms tightened around Lex. “You didn’t sign on for all this Kryptonian stuff.”

Lex snorted. “No, apparently I was born with it, same as you.”

“That’s not… not exactly true. I mean, if it weren’t for… for Braniac… or Zod… or maybe it was me, I triggered—“

“Shut up, Clark. It happened. It’s happening. Why doesn’t matter. Now tell me why we can’t spend three days apart without going into withdrawal.”

Clark took a deep breath and rested his cheek—slightly scratchy with invulnerable stubble—against Lex’s bare scalp. “J’onn says I’ve become more telepathically sensitive, empathically too. That’s what was bugging me with Lois. I’ve always, apparently, been prone to building empathic bonds with people I’m close to. I snapped everything that was left the other night, not consciously, but they’re gone. Lois kept trying to rebuild the link.”

“That’s why you had to run from her?” Lex felt Clark nod. Normally something scratchy against his scalp would drive Lex nuts, but the scratch of Clark’s stubble just felt… good. “So am I likely to develop this gift?”

“J’onn’s not sure. You’re human, mostly. So it might be different. He doesn’t know much about zrhog and zrheg, less even than what’s in the archives.”

“Figures.”

“But it seems there’s a… a connection, a draw, between members of the Uchahvia.”

“That’s going to cut into your ability to run long rescue missions after disasters.” Lex frowned into Clark’s suit jacket. There had to be ways to help with that. Maybe new technology to identify buried victims or bodies—that was what always held Clark at a disaster site longest—and LuthorCorp could look into more donations to rebuild, provide food and clean water. The company was doing well enough to manage, and if the people were doing well on their own, they wouldn’t need Superman as long.

“Stop thinking, Lex.” Clark’s words cut through Lex’s distraction. “I’ll get Kon to cover for me if a mission runs long. We usually trade off, but I used to manage alone. I’m sure he’ll be fine for a bit. J’onn thinks we can reach an equilibrium with some work. After all, Kryptonian zrheg used to go off to distant planets to live. Nothing in the archives hint they went in groups.”

Lex took a deep breath and filed those thoughts for later. It would still be a good venture for LuthorCorp as run by a former President of the US. But that wasn’t the focus for tonight. “What does he suggest we do?”

“Well, one place to start is teaching you some of techniques I’ve been learning from J’onn. I would have been by sooner but he wanted to make sure I knew enough to do some good.”

Clark’s hand moved gently up and down Lex’s spine. It felt good. Damned good. And not just because Lex was imagining how those hands would feel without the cloth in the way. Honestly, Lex couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to someone except for passing sex after a charity event, and he hadn’t been able to manage that much during his time as president. It was nice to not be so… lonely.

“We used to have a bond, a small one. Rebuilding that, strengthening that, on purpose this time, might help.”

“Show me,” Lex commanded. Begged. Hoped.

Clark loosened his arms and lifted his head. Lex responded by doing the same and shifting back a little. But not too far. Clark didn’t let Lex go far. Then Clark leaned down, and for a split second Lex expected those lips to touch his own, but instead Clark pressed his forehead to Lex’s and closed his eyes. Breath mingling warm against his face, Lex did the same.

_”Take a deep breath and look within.”_

~o0o~

Clark wasn’t sure what drove him to stop by his and Lois’ apartment before flying to Gothem, but he did all the same. Lois’ glare was discomforting, but it was a relief to find his mental shields held up under the onslaught of her emotional attack. Her hatred had not diminished in the slightest in the three days he’d been gone.

She protested his entrance from the moment he opened the door, but he used his speed to bypass her attempt to keep him out. He scanned the rooms quickly, and found three more bugs than he expected. After gathering them all, he stopped in front of Lois, the audio bugs spread across his hand.

“You should talk to Chloe. I don’t appreciate her bugging our home.” He tapped the two with the JLA logo micro etched into the underside. Then he crushed them with another tap. 

Lois glared.

“Fine, I’ll talk to Chloe. And Bruce.” He tucked the one bug with the bat symbol into his belt. Lex’s collection he crushed, curling his fingers around them and tightening his fist. 

“And who’s going to talk to whoever left those?” Lois spat.

Clark sighed. “I will.” Not that he needed to say anything to Lex. No, he’d ask his onetime friend to pull the observation of Lois. Clark wouldn’t be back. He knew that now. And Lois didn’t deserve to be spied on.

“I should go.”

He heard Lois mutter, “You shouldn’t have come,” under her breath. For a moment, his shields faltered and he felt her anger and disgust sink into his skin before he took off out the window, flying out of range as quickly as he could manage.

~o0o~

Clark flew through the waterfall that guarded the hidden entrance to the Bat Cave fast enough he was barely dampened. Even in the dark it only took a moment to spot Bruce brooding by the computers, just where Alfred had said he would be. Researching for an evening rarely meant business research.

“Bruce.” Clark landed in the small circle of light around Bruce’s seat and crossed his arms.

“Clark. Alfred said you wanted to speak with me.” Even with his mask folded back against his neck, Bruce managed to look impassive and bored. It probably helped that he kept his eyes on the computer screen beyond a quick glance to identify his visitor.

Clark waited.

It took five minutes of Bruce tapping away at the keyboard, data flashing across the screen at a rate Clark could follow, but Bruce probably struggled with, before the bat added, “He said you called from President Luthor’s private line.”

“I found bugs with your symbol in his penthouse living room and office,” Clark said, trying to keep his voice as bland as Bruce’s. But it was hard. He was angry. Very angry. “Then I found this in my apartment.” He held the bug he’d brought with him in front of Bruce.

“I’ve hear some strange rumors,” Bruce said, taking the bug and setting it beside his keyboard. “Ones perhaps you should look into the source of.”

Clark snorted. “Chloe.”

“Lois,” Bruce countered. “She’s been telling the strangest stories about Kryptonian sexual maturity.” He finally turned to Clark, and his dark eyes scanned over every curve of the bright blue suit. “Tentacles?”

Cheeks burning, Clark rubbed a hand through his hair. “Who… do you know who she’s been talking to?”

“She only mentioned the tentacles to Chloe. You missed the tap I placed on your phone line. When talking to Lucy she limits herself to bitching about how horrible you’ve become.”

This was going to take longer than he thought. Clark turned the chair next to the secondary computer setup and sat down. “I need you to clean up Chloe’s files. She planted cameras in Lex’s penthouse.”

The data on the screen switched from financial records of the Gotham mafia to patches into the JLA database. “You need to sit on that girl.”

“I know,” Clark said.

“You should have two years ago.” A hidden folder clicked open on the screen. A photo slide show flicked past, full of pale, hairless skin. Bruce let it just run until a shot of Lex from the front came up. Then he paused it. “Tentacles?” 

Clark growled and reached over Bruce, taking control and closing the window. “If you ever even hint to Lex you know, he’ll either kill you or destroy you. And I won’t be able to stop him.”

Bruce turned to face Clark, studying him closely. His expression flickered, but nothing identifiable. Clark dropped his shields a little and reached out, wondering what he’d pick up. No words, but fear, confusion, concern, all flickered across his skin.

“Both of you?” Bruce finally asked.

“Great Kryptonian leaders become zrhog or zrheg. No, I don’t know why. Two months ago, I came back from Japan….” Clark waved a hand at the screen even though the photo was gone. “Lex contacted me… about a week ago.” Had it been that short a time? It felt like Lex had always been by his side.

Bruce actually frowned. “Zod?”

“Zod, Braniac, the meteor shower.” Clark shrugged. “Could be I dragged him over the threshold. J’onn doesn’t know much, some kind of secrecy thing even on Krypton, but he thinks zrhog aren’t meant to function alone.”

“J’onn knows about you two?” Bruce finally looked away and Clark felt that attention shift from his skin. More files and records started flashing across the screen. 

“He’s been training my new telepathy. Still can’t hide anything from him.”

“And Lex? He gain mental powers too?”

“He’s human first, so… I think some, but not as much. We’ll see over time.”

An image of Clark leaning in towards Lex in the penthouse’s entryway crossed the screen, then vanished. “I won’t say anything, but if he hurts you… all bets are off.”

Clark sighed. “I was telling him about the bugs.”

Bruce paused his search and turned, his eyebrow raised as his eyes met Clark’s. “How do I know he isn’t manipulating you? New mental powers, traumatic changes, Lois….”

“I’ll give you everything I could find in the archives. Talk to J’onn. He’ll tell you.” Clark couldn’t meet Bruce’s eyes, not after he mentioned Lois.

“He calls your name when he masturbates.”

Clark felt his cheeks burn, and his eyes. He closed them as he struggled with a surge of want. It was stronger, not weaker, since he’d spent those hours mind to mind with Lex.

“Seems to have a recording of you calling his name.”

“You didn’t have a bug in his bedroom.” Clark could see Lex spread across his bed, playing with himself, or across that sinful leather couch. And he’d been listening to Clark’s evening in the loft.

“He’s been in his office the last two nights. You still insisting you were just telling him about the bugs?”

Taking a deep breath, Clark shoved down his reaction and smothered it under the calm of his shields as J’onn has taught him. Only once he was certain of his control did he open his eyes. “I’m a married man. Until that changes, I was telling him about the bugs.”

“And when it does change?”

Clark didn’t know how Bruce stayed so blank when so much emotion was rolling under the surface. “My private life is none of your business.”

“I knew Lex before you did, back when he still had red curls…” Anger and frustration surged in contrast to an amazingly strong protective streak. “If he hurts you, I will make him pay. You tell him that.”

Clark nodded, feeling honored, protected for the first time since Japan. No, he’d felt similarly when he’d gotten back from the tsunami and found everything Lex had done to cover for him. Still, it felt good to find Bruce wanted to protect him.

“And if you turn on him again, I will make you suffer.”

Blinking in surprise, Clark nodded again. The same surge of emotions brushed against him with a twist of regret. Clark could understand that. He felt the same regret. “I need him. Not in my bed, though…” His cheeks burned again. “I wouldn’t complain, I think. But I need him. Three days with J’onn and I felt like there was kryptonite in the room. Five seconds with Lex and it stopped.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“We’re not ecstatic either. But J’onn things we can get past the proximity need in time.”

“Hmmm.” Bruce turned back to his computer, and files flickered past quickly for another minute. Then stopped. “I’ve got everything on the main servers and her private servers. But she may have offline backups.”

“I’ll confront her tomorrow. Let her realize everything is gone first.”

“Lois hired a lawyer today.”

Even though he knew their marriage was over, Clark’s heart sank. It hurt to face the end. “Thanks for the warning.”

“Need help finding your own?”

Clark shook his head. “I’ll sort something out tomorrow. Perry can probably suggest the best options in Metropolis.”

Bruce muttered something that sounded a lot like “Or Luthor.”

“I catch you bugging Lex again, I may not be able to stop him.”

“You don’t have to tell him.” Bruce cracked a hint of a smile.

~o0o~

Lex strode into his office, his head still spinning with all Clark had imparted in the last few hours, much of it mind to mind in a touch that filled him with warmth.

Ben Miles was waiting with a transmission jammer and a small pile of bugs on the desk. The jammer gave Lex a headache, which was why he preferred to have his office scanned every morning and penthouse every evening rather than use a jammer full time. For the moment, however, he appreciated the chance to study the bugs in person.

Picking up one, he studied it closely, scanning the mat surface for a hint of its owner. There was a hint of something on the underside, but he couldn’t quite tell what.

“I want these checked by every test you can think of. Try to track them back to their source,” he ordered.

“Young Sanderson was supposed to check for bugs this week.” Miles had the sense to move straight to the information he did have. “I’ve got McCay running everything electronic through a check and Lamb tracing his movements for the last few months.”

“Who’s questioning Sanderson?”

“I’m letting him stew overnight, then I’ll question him myself.”

Lex nodded. Miles had proved both competent and effective, following Lex from Washington to Metropolis without a single flicker in protection.

“I’m sorry about this, Mr. President. Sanderson’s record looked excellent.” Miles looked absolutely disgusted. “I won’t allow another lapse like this.”

“I know you won’t.” Lex smiled, but he could feel his eyebrows twitching under the onslaught of the jammer. He’d have to ask Clark if it was a Kryptonian reaction. Lex certainly didn’t know anyone else who had trouble with that particular piece of electronics. Still, no reason to expose himself further. Lex strode towards the door. 

“Mr. President….” Miles stopped himself, frowning.

“Agent Miles?” Lex paused and turned back.

“This reporter who’s been coming around… Clark Kent. I’ve been running a background check—“

“Then stop.”

Miles looked shocked. Though since Lex had always encouraged the agent’s paranoia it did make a measure of sense. “Mr. President. Not only is he a reporter who has regularly written exposes on LexCorp, LuthorCorp, and your presidency, he’s a registered metahuman, kryptonite variety.”

Lex smiled at that. He’d been impressed with Chloe’s falsified files when the metahuman registry act had passed and Clark had immediately registered. Of course, Lex had fixed everything Clark missed and made sure any DNA test would replace itself with the falsified human DNA report he’d created.

“One,” Lex said, his tone firm, “so am I. Not all metahumans, even of the kryptonite variety, Smallville origin, are psychotic.” That act had given him an impressive boost in the poles when he stood on a platform of equality for all, including metahumans and homosexuals. “Two, I’ve known Clark Kent since he was fifteen. He’s saved my life more times than you have.” That might be an exaggeration. It was hard to say since Miles didn’t always tell his boss about the assassination attempts stopped before they got near Lex. “Three, he will be given the same respect you give me and have full access to anywhere I am.”

Miles frowned, but said firmly, “Yes, Mr. President.”

There was a reason Lex preferred this agent lead his security team.


	10. Pointed Banter

“That sounds promising. I’ll approve mileage for you to interview locally.”

Clark smiled at Perry. The chief had liked Clark’s idea for a fluff piece on the state of the farms around Metropolis. He’d have to BS the mileage since Lois had the car and Clark never expected to get near it again, but that was manageable.

“Thanks, Chief.”

“Though I might argue if it didn’t mean you’ll be out of the office for a week.”

Warmth burned in Clark’s cheeks and he studied his hands. “Sorry, Chief.” He’d come in early specifically in the hopes of avoiding Lois. “How is she?” That came out more plaintive than he’d intended.

“I am not playing peacemaker or messenger, Kent.”

_Knock. Knock._

Jimmy was at the door, looking highly embarrassed, and a woman in an ugly suit was at his shoulder.

“Olsen?” Perry bellowed.

“Sorry, Chief,” Jimmy said after he popped the door open. “But Ms. Anderson is looking for Clark….”

“Clark Kent?” The woman pushed past Jimmy and into the office. Rather than waiting for a response, she slapped a folder into Clark’s hands. “I’m with the courts. You need to sign the top page and return it to me.”

Clark shot a confused look at Perry, who just looked solemn, before looking at the folder. Blank. He glanced at Jimmy, who looked confused back. Opening the folder, the top sheet proved to be a confirmation of receipt… for a divorce petition. 

Tears in his eyes, Clark pulled a pen from his shirt’s breast pocket and signed and dated as directed. The moment Ms. Anderson had the page, she stalked back out of the office as fast as her sensible flats could take her. Pity she didn’t spend a little more on her suits. It clearly cost as much as Clark’s yearly suit budget, but that just meant it looked both expensive and badly made. Lex spent a fair bit more per suit and looked impeccable, but less half his usual suit budget would have done a lot to improve Ms. Anderson’s impression.

And the salesman at a better class store would have told her that shade of green did not go with her complexion.

“Clark? You okay?” Jimmy squeaked. “I’m really sorry, but she looked ready to tear the whole place apart.”

Clark waved him off. “It’s fine. Knew it was coming.” He flipped through the pages, reading quickly. “Chief, don’t suppose you know the name of a good divorce lawyer?” 

“Damn, Kent. I’m sorry. We did an article recently, Paris should have the cards and know which proved the best. ”

“Oh man. Lois really…? I mean you two have always been so—“

Jimmy froze when Clark did. And Clark did when he spotted the section for ‘reason for divorce.’ He’d been expecting irreconcilable differences. That was what he’d planned if it came to that. But no, Lois had claimed infidelity, and provided a name.

“Chief, I’m not going to be able to start on that story just yet,” Clark said through gritted teeth.  
“I’ve gotta… gotta….”

Perry pulled the file from Clark’s unresisting hands, read, and bellowed a few very uncomplimentary words. “Kent, did you… how could you?”

“I didn’t,” Clark bellowed right back, standing to his full height. “I would never. She’s my wife.” Tears were streaming down his cheeks. “And he’s a friend. Just a friend.”

“Olsen, get out.” Perry pointed as he yelled, and held the pose until a terrified Jimmy slammed the door shut. Then Perry walked around Clark to close the blinds. Then he sat down.

“Sit down, son.”

Mulishly, Clark stayed on his feet, but his posture returned to the reporter hunch he usually effected. 

“Sit.” This time Perry bellowed, but the next words came out gentler. “I believe you. Now sit.”

Clark sat.

“Just a friend?”

Clark nodded, eyes fixed on the folder Perry had set on his desk.

“Who covers for your absences and gives you scooping interviews?”

Frowning, Clark looked up.

“Look, I know. I’ve always known. I saw you in action in Smallville after all.”

Clark’s heart sank.

“You think an editor who didn’t know would put up with your absences, your flimsy excuses?”

“That’s what Lois said,” Clark whispered. “But about a partner.”

“Hmm, you know it could come out during the divorce. If she’s pissed enough to claim you’ve been sleeping with Lex Luthor….”

Clark wanted to protest, to say there was no way Lois would betray him. Three months ago he would have. But that was before he came home with tentacles and found out Lois could be afraid of something. Of him.

“I’m not going to say anything… but you’d better get a damned good lawyer. Probably a better and more expensive one than I could recommend.” Perry picked up the file, closed it, and passed it over. “But your _friend_ President Luthor might have a good suggestion. And a reason to help out.”

Taking the file, Clark studied it for a minute, his x-ray vision kicking in and scanning down the full depth layer by layer. She wanted to take him for everything his parents had left.

“He caught me pretty much living on the roof of the Daily Planet building. Needed a favor,” Clark said softly, then let out a snort of laughter. “I never thought he’d want to talk to me again… after everything.” Everything. Lex had every right to send Clark packing after the zrheg explanation. But he didn’t. “Then he invited me for dinner. Just dinner, and it was like we were kids again, friends.” Maybe it was an uchahvia thing, and Lex didn’t have a choice about sending Clark away again. But Clark really didn’t want to believe that.

“Well, if it nets you more interviews, I’m all for it. But first you have to keep him from saving you the divorce fees.”

It took a moment, far too long really, but Clark was a bit distracted, to figure out what Perry meant. He wanted to protest, to say that Lex wouldn't do that. But honestly, Clark knew better. Lex would do anything for his friends. And his reputation came a distant second, but needed protecting too in this case.

“I’d better talk to him, before someone in the gossip rags gets ahold of this and calls for a statement.”

Even Perry blanched at that thought. “Go. I’ll expect you to start that story tomorrow, but take today to deal with this.”

“Thanks, Chief.” Clark wished he sounded a bit more chipper saying that. But right now, he was more in shock than anything else.

Standing, Clark moved towards the door, then froze when a hand touched his wrist. Perry was leaning over the desk, and now that they were touching Clark couldn’t miss the concern and righteous indignation the editor was projecting.

“I’m not taking sides,” Perry prefaced, “but if there’s anything I can do…. Hell, do you even have a place to stay?”

“I’m good,” Clark promised. “I’ll call in with an update, something you can feed to Cat Grant if nothing else.”

The walk across the main floor was painful. Everyone was watching with hooded eyes.

Jimmy bounced over while Clark was waiting for the elevator. “CK, I didn’t say a word, promise. But they heard some…. You know?”

“Go ahead and tell them the divorce is in the works. You don’t know anything else to comment upon.”

Nodding, Jimmy said, “No problem. Though someone’s gonna check the court records before long. These old gossips can’t help themselves.”

Clark shivered at the thought. He had to get over to talk to Lex. Now.

“Want me to say anything to Lois?”

“God no,” Clark spat. “Stay away from her. If she’s pissed enough to do this, she’ll take it out—“

The elevator doors opened and there she stood. There were circles under her eyes, imperfectly hidden by a thick coating of makeup. Her suit was perfect, but her shirt wrinkled and there was a spot of coffee on her collar. The stain would have become worse as her hand opened in shock when she spotted Clark, but reflex and years spent protecting and loving her sent Clark’s hand out to catch the steaming travel cup before it spilled a drop. 

He handed the cup to Jimmy, muttering, “She speaks poniards, and every word stabs,” before stalking to the stairwell and escaping down.

Tears burned in his eyes. He and Lois used to quote _Much Ado About Nothing_ to each other. Lois had said they were an excellent Beatrice and Benedict.

He wondered if she knew Lex was the reason he’d know the play in the first place.

~o0o~

Halfway between the lobby and the extremely high floor Lex kept his office on, the elevator paused. The doors opened. Agent Miles stood on the other side, flanked by two other agents, extending his hand so the doors would not close again.

“Mr. Kent. May I speak with you?”

Clark clutched the file still in his hand and considered his options. Limited. The wording was polite, but that was not a request. “Of course.” He plastered a smile on his face as best he could. “Umm, is this going to take long?”

“It might.” Miles gestured down the hall. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

“No.” Yes. He needed to deal with Lois, with Chloe. He needed to let Lex know what was going on. He did not need to deal with suspicious government agents right now. Even thinking about being in a closed room with Agent Miles made his tentacles twitch. But he still let Agent Miles direct him into a medium sized office with no windows. “But if someone could run this up to Mr. Luthor, I’d appreciate it.” 

One of the agents who was flanking Agent Miles responded to the lead agent’s nod and held out a hand.

“Could I add a quick note?” Clark took a seat in the chair by the desk, scratching out a note on his personal pad of paper before anyone could respond. He tucked the note into the folder, knowing it would probably be read the moment the door shut, and handed the whole thing over.

The agent left with his associate. Miles closed the door.

“Clark Kent. Birthplace unknown. Parents unknown,” Miles began, lifting a file from the desk in the middle of the room.

It was a struggle, but Clark stayed relaxed, resting his hands in his lap. He couldn’t freak out about the past, and if anyone started questioning his paperwork, it would lead back to Lionel and the Kents, who were all dead. No one to ask further questions. Clark had been three, not exactly an age people could hold him responsible at.

“First records indicated you were found by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kansas after the meteor shower of 1989. When no one came forward to claim you, the Kents adopted you through Metropolis United Charities, an organization that, oddly enough, seems to have only processed two adoptions.”

“Myself and Lucas Dunleavy,” Clark said with a nod. “I learned about that in high school. Pretty weird.” He plastered an innocent, farmboy look on his face.

“Age fifteen, rescued Alexander Luthor from the Elbow River after an accident dumps his car into the water.” Miles tapped his folder, but his eyes were fixed on Clark. “This goes on to list a long and varied selection of incidents in which President Luthor was very nearly killed. And you are almost always listed as being present.”

“I saved his life a few times. He saved mine a few times, too. We were friends.” 

Somehow Miles seemed to leap forward without ever moving. “Were friends. Exactly. You haven’t had anything to do with President Luthor since you were both in Smallville, and now here you are having dinner and being granted full access to him anywhere.”

Okay, that was more than Clark knew. Access to the penthouse, sure, and security had been happy enough to send him to Lex’s office. But anywhere? “I can see how that might look a little strange,” Clark said, considering how he might even try to explain. He didn’t get a chance.

“You’re a registered metahuman.” The agent made that sound like a threat.

Clark frowned. “Yeah. Seemed the right thing to do when the law was passed, even if it didn’t last long.”

“Kryptonite mutation, Smallville origin. Increased strength and resistance to physical damage.”

Keeping the confused expression on his face, Clark nodded. “Sure. Helped a lot when it came to protecting my friends from the other meteor mutants.” And someday someone was going to make the connection to Superman, but it was so nice not to have to lie about everything he could do. And explain all the broken office supplies. Though he paid for his own these days.

“Smallville origin mutations have a few strange tendencies. Psychosis—“

Ah, Clark got it now. He smiled. “And an unfortunate tendency to attack either Lana Lang or Lex Luthor if they go psychotic. Or both. And not just while they were married.”

“Then you can understand my… concern.”

If Clark were a smaller man, or a little more depressed (say two weeks ago), the way Miles was looming would scare him. But he wasn’t. So he replied in a chipper tone. “Nope, never had a psychotic break, so I’ve never been inclined to attack either.”

Miles glared. “In 2002 you went on a buying spree in Metropolis, wiping out your parents’ credit in one night.”

Clark flushed and shrunk into himself a little. He’d thought that had vanished from the records years ago.

“In 2003 you vanished for a summer, much to the consternation of your parents. Rumors hint that you spent that summer in a variety of nightclubs in Metropolis. There were also some very interesting thefts that summer.”

“Rumors?” Clark said flatly. “I’ll admit to some teenage rebellion and having run away after Mom lost the baby. Neither case indicated a psychotic break, nor did I ever attack Lex Luthor.” A sick feeling filled his stomach, the same one that had hit when he first saw the headlines that Lex’s flight had vanished on the way to his honeymoon. “The only person who tried to kill Lex that summer was his wife.” Damn, he couldn’t afford to get defensive, not with so many secrets to keep. 

“Look, you could spend the day listing why you think I’m the wrong person to be friends with Lex. I might even agree with you on some points. But why don’t you get to your point, so we can both get on with our days.” Okay, that wasn’t helping, but it had already been a rough morning and Clark was getting pissed. 

“Your longtime friend may have subverted a secret service agent to plant bugs in President Luthor’s office and residence, with the assistance of your wife. And perhaps yourself.”

“Former wife,” Clark corrected. “And I had nothing to do with that.”

Miles raised an eyebrow. “Irrelevant. Am I supposed to believe that the timing is a coincidence?”

“No,” Clark said, probably a bit too honestly. “Between Chloe’s obsession with proving Lex is up to something and Lois being pissed at me right now, the two are probably completely related. I still didn’t ask them to or get involved with bugging anything.”

“Secondary and tertiary kryptonite exposure have been known to cause additional mutations.”

Huh? “Not very often.” Where was he going with that?

“Metahumans with multiple mutations are more likely to experience a psychotic break, even after showing stability after the first mutation.”

Huh, Clark hadn’t know that. Maybe he was out of date with the latest in metahuman research. Though that seemed unlikely. Guilt over being the cause of so much human suffering had kept him aware of the research, the attacks, and the victims over the years. Not that everyone lost it. Less than ten percent really. Treatment of the metahuman during the formative years seemed to have as much of an effect on psychotic breaks as the kryptonite exposure.

Oh. “Metahumans with stable and loving home lives are also much less likely to have a psychotic break, no matter the mutation level or the age of exposure. The Kents were wonderful, loving parents.” Damn, Clark could feel tears building in his eyes. Thinking about Martha still did that to him, though it had been almost a year.

“Have you been exposed to kryptonite recently?”

Actually, it had been a few months at least, a group of bank robbers who’d put out an impressive amount going in to buy kryptonite to keep Superman away, only to find the vault had been emptied the day before. Poor guys had been pissed.

Clark realized he’d waited way too long to answer, and shook his head. “No. Though it usually takes exposure combined with heat or pressure to trigger mutation. Just being around the stuff is more likely to result in cancer.” That tidbit had come out of LuthorCorp research and published at such a time as to boost Lex in the polls nicely.

“And how do I know you are telling the truth? Additional mutations often run on different lines than the first. You’re a known physical mutant.”

Clark ran his fingers through his hair, frowning at the agent. Could he really be implying…? “You think I’ve developed some kind of mental power and am controlling Lex?” When Miles’ heart rate spiked, indicated Clark had nailed it, he laughed. “Lex? Really? The only time I ever saw him under mind control his behavior was so out of character no one could miss it.”

Miles smiled pointedly.

Fortunately, Clark was saved from having to explain why Lex suddenly pulling an about face and resurrecting his friendship with a farmboy from Smallville wasn’t completely out of character.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to add Lex's reaction to the divorce papers in this chapter, but the other scenes got away from me and I wanted to get something out. Hopefully they're fulfilling for now. Lex's reaction, and confrontations with Chloe and Lois to come.
> 
> Anyone want to guess what Lex has been doing all morning?


	11. Bending the Truth

“I’d like to put you on retainer, Mr. Brown,” Lex said. It had been a good morning. Saunders was being grilled, no new bugs had been found in his home or office, and he’d found the perfect divorce lawyer for Clark after only five interviews. Not only was Mr. Brown one of the best, and best paid, divorce lawyers in Metropolis, he donated time and money to assist metahumans with divorces and lawsuits. Apparently his daughter had been in Smallville during the second meteor shower. “Feel free to start billing.”

Lex triggered the intercom. “Charity, please let the others know they can return to their days.” There were at least another ten lawyers waiting outside. Lex had summoned the best and brightest of the Metropolis bar first thing this morning. The offer of ten grand just for showing up had proven quite effective.

“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”

Intercom off. 

“Divorce or lawsuit?” Mr. Brown asked. “Lawsuit I assume, unless you secretly married recently.”

“Both, perhaps, but not my divorce,” Lex said. “You’ll be drawing up papers for Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”

Mr. Brown’s pointer clicked across the screen of his PDA. “Ah, that’s why you need a metahuman expert for someone else’s divorce. Good of you to assist him. Did Ms. Lane recently discover Mr. Kent’s mutation?”

“Lois has been aware since before she and Clark got together. Unfortunately, Clark recently suffered a secondary mutation. It happens occasionally with kryptonite mutation.”

“Not very often. How did Mr. Kent get re-exposed?”

Lex waved him off. “Irrelevant. What matters is Lois can’t handle the physical changes and their marriage has fallen apart. However, I will not allow her to use what has already been a traumatic change against him.” Those last words were a bit angrier than he’d intended. But, really, Lois deserved more than Clark would let Lex bring to bear for what she was doing. And Clark deserved far better than her treatment. The layers of self-loathing she’d left in poor Clark’s mind… disgusting.

“I admit I would feel more comfortable discussing the divorce with Mr. Kent himself.”

“He’ll be around this evening. We can introduce you then.” Clark had promised to come by after work, and hopefully gaging Chloe, for another session on mental control. Lex was quite looking forward to it.

“Very well.” The pointer clicked again, this time probably recording notes. “And the lawsuit?”

Lex folded his hands and let a smirk curl on his lips. “Gag orders to start. Clark would get upset if I went straight to criminal charges.” His fingers reached up, sliding over his scalp. Something was itching at the back, but he didn’t find a thread or other irritant in the quick pass.

Mr. Brown raised an eyebrow. “And who are we gagging?”

“Lois Lane and Chloe Queen. Oh, throw in Oliver Queen as well. I’m sure his wife has been bragging.” If only Clark would let him throw criminal charges their way.

Clicking against the PDA. “Regarding what?”

“No discussing of Clark’s mutation as a means of manipulating the judge. He’s no risk to anyone, let alone the woman he still very much loves.”

“You would know,” Mr. Brown muttered under his breath. Clearly the man was well tapped into the metahuman community. Everyone in the know knew Lex Luthor was always one of the first targets of angry metahumans, and level 33.1 didn’t explain all of it. 

“True.” The word came out harsher than Lex intended. The itch was still there, but… deeper. Not physical. He cleared his throat. “Additionally, they planted bugs in my penthouse, including cameras. I want them gagged regarding anything they learned.” If news of Lex’s changes hit the media, he wouldn’t be held back by Clark any longer. And the courts wouldn’t be the only place that the Queens would pay.

“Will you be pressing criminal charges?” The pointer was poised to do something dramatic as Mr. Brown waited for an answer.

“Only if they force me to it. There are… a number of factors that mean I would prefer to keep the matter quiet.” Not all on his side. Damn it. Lex rubbed the back of his head firmly, but that damned itch was still niggling.

“I assure you you’re under attorney client confidentiality.”

“And if you need to know, I will—“

The office door opened. “Sorry to intrude, Mr, President.”

Lex frowned at the intruding Secret Service agents. They usually let Charity announce them at least. “Agent Donovan. Agent Dokes.” Even these two, Miles’ pet muscle.

“A Mr. Kent dropped this off.” Dokes came over and set a file folder of what appeared to be legal documents on Lex’s desk.

Lex took a moment to study the two men. Why would Clark send the folder up instead bringing it himself? And did Donavan look a little sheepish? Hmmm. Lex flipped the folder open and pulled it in front of himself. Divorce papers. And at the top, a note scribbled on small note paper.

_Lex,_

_I had to bring these to your attention immediately. Lois chose a very interesting reason for filing for divorce. Better warn your PR people. A divorce lawyer suggestion is one gift I’d gladly accept right now. This could get very ugly._

_-Clark_

“Where is he?” Lex demanded even as he paged to find the reason for divorce listed.

“Pardon?”

Lex looked up, glared hard, and said, “Where is Clark Kent?” There was no reason, short of a Superman level disaster, for Clark to send these papers up with anyone else, especially not two Secret Service agents. In fact, the only reason Lex could think of these two being near Clark was because Miles….

“Take me to him.” Lex stood, bringing the folder with him. He’d look in the elevator. “You can come or head back to your office, Mr. Brown.”

“I’ve already sent orders to my staff to attend to the gag orders, Mr. Luthor. I believe I’ll take the opportunity to meet my client.” Mr. Brown stood with aplomb, tucking his PDA into the pocket of his expertly tailored suit.

“Agent Donovan. Agent Dokes. You will take me to Clark Kent. Now.” Lex focused his glare on Donavan as the seeming weakest link.

Donovan broke. “Agent Miles wanted a word with him, Mr. President.”

“I’m sure he did.” Lex knew exactly what Miles wanted from Clark, and Lex had no intention of letting his agent in charge harass his friend, even if Miles was in charge of security. Clark Kent was not a threat.

Dokes led the way, and Lex had a moment in the elevator to find the reason for divorce. Rage filled him as he took in that not only had Lois accused Clark of infidelity, she thought Clark was having an affair with Lex. Not that Lex would have minded, but how could she think so little of Clark’s respect and love for her.

“Seems instead of filing for divorce, you’ll be dealing with this mess.” Lex handed the folder to Mr. Brown. “One, it’s not true, and two, the only possible evidence they might have for the claim is a dinner invitation and something from the cameras in my penthouse.”

“Illegally attained. Easily quashed,” Mr. Brown said, rapidly flipping through the file while maintain his position just behind Lex as they walked down the hallway towards Miles’ office.

“Good, get started on that before the gossip rags get wind of this,” Lex ordered, then slammed the office door open, taking in a startled Miles looming over a flustered looking Clark. “Enough, Agent Miles. I told you Clark Kent was not your problem.”

“It’s alright, Lex,” Clark said. “Really, it’s quite reasonable that he might have questions. He is in charge of keeping you safe, and I’m well aware of what a difficult job that can be.”

Lex chuckled, and walked up behind Clark. The moment he set a hand on Clark’s shoulder, the itch went away. Damn it, had he been feeling Clark’s irritation and upset this whole time?

_”Sorry.”_

The word was a weak impression in Lex’s mind, but he knew that was Clark’s doing all the same. It would be interesting to see if they could develop a stable telepathic link.

Experiments for later.

“You do an excellent job, Agent Miles, but if you don’t leave Clark alone I’m quite prepared to break in another agent in charge.” Lex stared down the man. There had been another agent, Pauline Denis, who’d shown a great deal of potential. Miles had been senior. Lex wondered if she’d still be interested in the post. 

“My job is to protect you, even from yourself if need be,” Miles said.

Clark chuckled. “See, he gets it.”

Lex slapped Clark up the backside of the head. “Do you think I need saving from you?”

“Nope.” Clark shook his head. “But he doesn’t know why. Honestly, Lex, can you blame him? I dropped back into your life a few days ago and suddenly we’re bosom buddies?”

It only took a moment to come to a decision. “Mr. Brown, could you wait outside with Agents Dokes and Donavan?”

Clark turned and studied the lawyer. “Mr. Brown?”

“Your divorce lawyer,” Lex said. “I’ll introduce you two later.”

Clark’s hand landed on Lex’s, on Clark’s shoulder, and squeezed softly.

The door closed behind Mr. Brown, the muscle outside with him. Lex turned his focus on Miles. 

“You don’t understand why I trust Clark.”

“No, Sir. I don’t,” Miles spat. “For all we know he’s developed some kind of mind control power.”

Lex laughed. “Clark? Mind control? Miles. Miles. Actually, that’s an interesting theory, if it were someone else.”

“It’s happened before,” Clark commented.

“Don’t encourage the paranoid agent,” Lex said, slapping Clark upside the head again. He watched carefully as Miles watched every move, and realized that his Secret Service agents had probably never seen him get so close to anyone other than a short term bed companion. “And I haven’t been affected by a mental mutant since Zod.”

Lex could feel Clark’s puzzlement. “Huh. We’ve got to discuss all of those post Zod changes one of these days.”

“You, me, and Superman’s AI,” Lex promised, fingers tightening on Clark’s shoulder. “However, the one we’ve already discussed will probably explain things to Agent Miles. You remember the changes I underwent in recent months.”

“He knows?” Clark snapped, his eyes fixed on Miles.

“The basics. Hard to hide all the scientists and doctors. What he doesn’t know is that I contacted you.” Lex watched as Miles fidgeted under Clark’s gaze, wondered if those eyes were Superman blue or Clark green. “Clark put me in touch with Superman, who found that my condition was not just meteor mutation but rather a Kryptonian trait. Perfectly normal if I were a mature Kryptonian. Apparently the meteors and Zod did a bit more to my genetic code than we realized.”

“That’s good to know,” Miles said. “But doesn’t explain him.” He pointed at Clark.

“Did you know Clark’s wife recently threw him out? That he’d been living out of the Daily Planet for over a month?” Lex watched Miles’ eyes widen, just a touch. “We were friends once. Secrets came between us, mostly to do with meteor, metahumans, and the weirdness of Smallville. With the secrets gone….” Lex shrugged. “Why not be friends?”

“Why did Ms. Lane throw her husband out?” Miles crossed his arms, leaned back against the wall.

“Because she couldn’t stand to look at me anymore.” Clark turned his head, looked away from everyone. “Lex wasn’t the only one Braniac tried to turn into a host for Zod, isn’t the only one who… changed.”

Lex watched Miles watch Clark, watched Miles repeatedly abort uneasy gestures towards his own groin.

“Does that help your understanding?” Lex asked dryly.

“Is it unbelievable that two onetime friends might bond again over being uniquely screwed by the universe?” Clark asked softly.

~o0o~

Clark collapsed into the couch in Lex’s office, his nerves shot. He could deal with entire disaster zones easier than he could this morning’s events.

Lex arrived at his side with a cup of coffee and a lawyer behind him. “I’m sorry about Agent Miles.”

“His job is to protect you,” Clark said, accepting the coffee. It would do more good than harm, and the warmth against his fingers felt good. Lifting his head carefully, Clark scanned the room as he took a sip. No bugs. That was good.

“We’ll have to discuss some of his parameters.” Lex settled into the other corner of the couch. “How are you?”

“More upset about Lois than Agent Miles, really.” Clark took another sip of coffee to avoid saying anything more.

“Hmm, we need to deal with that. Good think we already have Mr. Brown here on retainer.” Lex gestured at the lawyer, who was sitting in a chair tapping at his PDA, giving them space. He didn’t lift his head, even at the sound of his name.

“I’ve already asked him to put together gag orders on Chloe, Lois, and Oliver for anything from the cameras and… for anything they know about your mutation.” Lex touched Clark’s hand, and Clark quickly captured those touching fingers.

“You sure read my mind on the lawyer,” Clark said, holding tight to Lex, savoring the feel of their minds gently connecting through the skin to skin contact.

“After last night it seemed prudent,” Lex said with a confident smirk. “On the subject of last night… How did it go with Bruce?”

Clark winced, remembering Bruce’s reaction to the imaged Chloe had saved. “He found everything on the servers. I need to talk to Chloe about her offline backups… I’m sorry, Lex. She probably knows everything… and now so does Bruce.”

Lex never looked away, never let his mask drop, but Clark didn’t need to be touching him to see the horror in his eyes.

“It’s okay. Bruce isn’t going to say anything. I explained. He’ll talk to J’onn. I could use the backup with everyone else.”

Now Lex looked away, nodding as he stared out the window.

“He… um, he said… he said I should tell you that if you hurt me, he’ll make you pay.”

Lex let out a bark of laughter. “Of course he did. He’s a good friend for you.”

Clark set his coffee mug on the table and reached out, touching Lex’s cheek and turning his face until their eyes met. “He also told me, that if I hurt you, he’d make me suffer. He’s a good friend for both of us.”

A turmoil of emotions rolled through Lex, washing over Clark like a tidal wave until Lex shoved it all down. “Well, one less thing to worry about then.” Lex pulled Clark’s hand from his face released all contact before turning to the lawyer who was so carefully ignoring them both. “Mr. Brown, what can you suggest for dealing with Lois’ accusations?”


	12. Life is Pain

Clark arrived at the JLA space station and strode straight to Chloe’s office. Over the years since his hearing had kicked in, he had learned to identify the heartbeats of a few people specifically, as long as he was in the same ecosphere. Chloe was one of them. He knew exactly where she was from the instant he entered the airlock.

She looked up in surprise as her door slid open, and a fake smile crossed her face. “Superman, what can I do for you?”

He stepped forward and let the door close again before he spoke. “You can give me any backup copies of your recordings from Lex Luthor’s penthouse and office. Now.”

She frowned and clicked something on her computer. Distress radiated off her in waves though nothing showed on her face. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Walking to the front edge of the desk, Clark leaned down and loomed over his oldest friend, ignoring the press of her emotions. “Bullshit.”

“Really, Superman, you shouldn’t curse.” The sarcasm was thick, as was the avoidance.

“Cut the crap, Chloe. I found the bugs. Bruce cleaned out your copies on the servers.”

Chloe’s eyes widened just a fraction and panic surged through her. She may well have been looking for those files when Clark arrived.

“I want the offline backups.”

“Who says I have any more copies?” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, pure defensive posture. Her lies plucked at his skin just as they had last time they met. But his defenses were better.

“One, the fact that I know you.” He leaned a little closer, and smirked. “And two, I can feel you lying.”

She snorted. “The whole hearing the heartbeat makes you a walking lie detector thing? Come on, Clark.”

“Nope.” The ‘p’ popped sharply. “Increased empathy and telepathy. You might as well be screaming as hard as you’re projecting your emotions at me. You’d think you want me to know.” A curious thought crossed his mind. “How long have you been waiting for me to catch you at this?”

She gasped, but firmed up her mask a moment later. Even her emotions seemed a little more contained. “Lex Luthor is a threat to America and the world.”

“As president, he stopped three wars and prevented five others,” Clark countered. 

“He could destabilize the world’s economy in a moment.”

“What would be the fun in that?”

“He’s tried to kill you.”

“If you don’t give me those files so I can prove to him you’re no longer a threat, he will come after you. The lawsuit and criminal charges he has evidence for will destroy you, destroy Oliver. Hell, he might just be able to take down the JLA while he’s at it.”

She stood from her chair and threw her hands in the air. “Exactly. This is the monster you’re defending?”

Clark straightened and glared. “You broke the….” Damn it, just arguing wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Monster? Because of his business practices or how he looks with his clothes off?”

Bull’s-eye. She froze, and a wave of revulsion poured from her.

“He might have forgiven you for the unethical business practices, but putting a camera in his bedroom?” He projected his own disgust at her and she flinched, eyes wide. 

“I had to know what he was doing to you.”

“Doing to me?” Clark frowned. “How about supporting me and being a friend after Lois threw me out? Damn it, Chloe, your obsession with all things Luthor has blinded you.”

“I was trying to protect you!” She lunged forward, slamming her hands on the desk. “Lois is worried sick. Luthor did something to you, changed you, and you won’t even admit it.”

“He didn’t do anything!” he bellowed back. “I changed because I’m Kryptonian. He changed because of Zod. It’s normal, Chloe. Disgusting, frustrating, ugly, and perfectly fucking normal!”

Chloe blanched and collapsed back into her chair. “Normal?” Her eyes fixed on his body rather than his face, and he could feel the twitching that had attracted her attention.

“Normal. If Lois can’t handle it, that’s fine….” The words stuck in his throat, but he pushed past.” But accusing me of an affair with Lex Luthor to make the divorce my fault is not acceptable.”

“Can’t you change back?” Disbelief rolled off her a she whined plaintively.

“No.” Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, there were tears in her eyes.

“I thought the papers might help you snap out of whatever control he has over you,” she whispered.

“You encouraged my wife to accuse the former president of the United States of having an extramarital affair. Do you have any idea what that could do if the media found out? Even without any evidence?” 

“ We had… You kissed him. I have the picture.”

“You really think I would ever cheat on Lois? I whispered in his ear that he had bugs in his penthouse.”

“I just wanted to protect you.”

Clark let out a bark of laughter, but all he felt was pain. “Just give me the backups. Please. Before _I_ can’t protect you anymore.”

A minute later there were six memory sticks and two DVDs in his hands.

“He’s dangerous,” she tried again. “I just wanted to—“

“He’s my problem now, and I will keep a close eye on him. But, for the record, getting young men to do your dirty work, spying on business rivals, and getting me accused of cheating, none of that protects me.”

~o0o~

Itchy uncertainty lingered in the back of Lex’s mind from the moment Clark left his office. Miles was probably diffused, probably, but the Queens and Ms. Lane still needed to be dealt with. Except anything Lex did would just upset Clark. And Lex hated waiting for someone else to take care of the problem.

At least Mr. Brown seemed even more competent than Lex had expected. The gag orders were on file, updated divorce papers ready. He’d even confirmed, through his own connections, that the Queens were paying for Lois’ high priced divorce lawyer, a Ms. Ping, known to be a five foot nothing dynamo with a chip on her shoulder and a severe hatred for men.

The meeting with her to discuss the divorce should be interesting.

Not that Lex would get to be there.

A tapping sound from behind Lex confused him for a moment. The only thing over there was the window, and he was near the top of the tower. But a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye was the hint he needed. Turning his chair, Lex found Superman floating outside his window.

Holding several memory sticks.

Which he enclosed in his hand once he saw Lex was watching. When that big hand opened, nothing was left but dust.

A small weight slipped from Lex’s shoulders, and he nodded.

Superman nodded back, then flew away.

One less thing to worry about. Maybe now Lex could actually focus on work before the merger with that Japanese genetics company slipped away.

~o0o~

Clark was not looking forward to this, but he went anyway. Ms. Ping’s office, not exactly neutral territory but Mr. Brown didn’t seem to mind, was in an expensive building down by the courthouse. The interior looked like something Lionel Luthor might have decorated. Expensive, understated, and very threatening. The weaponry collection from Smallville would have fit right in.

Lois was waiting in the conference room with her petite lawyer. The room was a wash of anger, disgust, confusion, hope.

Clark tried to cling to the hope.

“Let’s get right to the point. My client has evidence of your infidelity,” Ms. Ping pronounced. “But she would prefer this end quickly and quietly.”

“As would my client,” Mr. Brown said. “Unfortunately, your client has made that very difficult.” He pulled a stack of papers from his briefcase and set them on the table. He flipped for a moment, then slid one across to Ms. Ping. “Of course, once Ms. Lane is convicted of business espionage and possibly treason, it will be very easy to get a clean divorce that leaves her with nothing.”

Lois flinched, but Ms. Ping didn’t react at all. “Don’t be absurd,” Ms. Ping announced. “My client has done nothing treasonous.”

“My client has been trying to figure out what evidence your client could possibly have of an affair.” Mr. Brown pulled a photo from his stack of papers and slid it into the middle of the table so everyone could clearly see Clark leaning in to Lex, their hands clasped, their bodies only inches apart. Bruce had printed it at Clark’s request earlier that afternoon. “This is our best guess.”

“Yes, that is the image my client showed me when she explained her plans to file.” Ms. Ping sniffed snootily. “The situation looked quite clear to me.”

Clark leaned in, pointing as he spoke. “You’ll note the off white paint with a hint of lavender on the walls, the imported marble flooring, the elevator behind me. That is the entryway of the LuthorCorp penthouse, private residence of former President Lex Luthor. Just how do you think my wife got that photo? The building is sixty stories tall.” 

This time Ms. Ping looked a little impressed.

“I have spoken with my client and President Luthor,” Mr. Brown said. “I have viewed the entryway in question. Two friends exchanging a quiet word does not an affair make.” 

“Two friends?” Lois cut in, anger pouring from her. “Does that look like two friends?”

Clark turned sad eyes on his wife. “You never saw us in Smallville while our friendship was new. Chloe, on the other hand, should have recognized that for what it was. Since it was her micro camera.” He turned to Ms. Ping. “We’re friends, Lex and I, nothing more. I would never cheat on my wife. I love her.”

“Yet you’ve abandoned her,” Ms. Ping snapped.

Lois gasped. The red flush of her anger blanched from her cheeks. 

“Is that what you really think?” Clark asked, eyes fixed on Lois. Her confusion battered against him, but she otherwise didn’t respond. “If I came home, would I be welcome?”

She had to take several sips from her water bottle before she could answer, but finally Lois admitted, “No.”

“If your client agrees to destroy the original filing,” Mr. Brown said, his tone so calm it seemed none of the previous tense conversation had happened, “then my client agrees to divorce under terms of ‘irreconcilable differences’. He offers one third of the proceeds from the sale of his parents’ farm as a settlement. He’ll give up any claim to the apartment and car in exchange for full title to the portion of the farm remaining unsold.

“If Ms. Lane agrees, my other client, President Luthor agrees not to press charges against Ms. Lane.” 

“What about Chloe?” Lois asked quietly.

“She has to make her own deal, but since she gave up the files I think he’ll leave her alone,” Clark said. “Not sure how Agent Saunders will fair though. His boss was muttering about treason charges.”

“Agent Saunders?” Lois asked.

“That is irrelevant,” Ms. Ping butted in. “Representing both President Luthor and Mr. Kent is a conflict of interest.”

“I do not believe so,” Mr. Brown said politely.

“My client does not have to buckle under your threats.” Ms. Ping didn’t pound on the table, but it was clear it was a near thing.

Mr. Brown gathered up his papers, tapping them neatly together. “If she prefers prison, that is her choice.”

“I don’t,” Lois said softly.

“Ms. Lane has a legitimate complaint,” Ms. Ping continued. “I will not permit Mr. Kent to continue his abusive reign. Even metahumans must be held responsible—”

“You said I abused you?” Clark couldn’t hide the pain in his voice. “Lois….”

“I said you were metahuman,” Lois said. She projected horror as strong as Clark felt, all towards Ms. Ping. “Strong. I never said you—”

“You didn’t have to,” Ms. Ping announced. “I can recognize a battered woman when I see one. Your fear of your husband covers you.”

Lois covered her eyes with her hands. “Clark never hurt me. God, I’ve made such a mess of this.” She raised her eyes to meet Clarks. “I wasn’t prepared….”

Clark shrugged. “Who was?”

“Chloe said… showed me a picture of Luthor. How…?”

“Same way I did. Zod… wanted so badly….” Clark struggled not to twitch under the onslaught of confused emotions. “I’m sorry, Lois. I never wanted this.”

“No… I know. I’m starting to understand.” Lois ran her fingers through her hair, leaving everything a bit of a mess. Clark’s heart swelled with love as he took in the image. She so often looked just like that at the end of a long night of research. “I’ll take the deal. But keep the proceeds of the farm. You should have that.”

“No,” Ms. Ping squealed. “I won’t permit—“

“You’re fired,” Lois said, and Ms. Ping rocked back in her seat. “I see now that I followed some very bad advice. Chloe will send payment for the day. Mr. Brown, I’ll have my new lawyer contact you tomorrow to finalize the terms.” Lois stood and walked around the table, but paused next to Clark. Her hand shook as she reached out, but firmed as she cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry, Clark. You deserve better.”

“I love you, Lois,” Clark said, nuzzling into her hand. He felt a surge of love, warped at is was by disgust and fear, flow from her.

“I… it’s not enough anymore.” Her fingers tightened a moment, then released.

“I know,” Clark whispered as she walked from the room.

~o0o~

Security informed Lex that Clark had arrived in the building and gone straight to the penthouse, but it was another two hours before the business mogul could leave his business to check on his friend. He found Clark on the couch, in the dark, crying silently.

Lex walked over, his footsteps echoing painfully loud in the silent room, and placed his hands on Clark’s shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he offered softly.

“I knew… I knew this was coming,” Clark forced out through struggling breaths. “So why does it hurt so?”

“Way of the world,” Lex said, tightening his grip to something he knew would have been painful to anyone else. “I knew I’d be destroying everything when I sent those goons after you, but afterward… that punch didn’t hurt more than my heart.” A surge of sorrow flowed between them. “I wasn’t sure I had one before that.” It was supposed to be a joke, but it came out more introspective.

Clarks sniffled and wiped his face. “I’m sorry. I came here for another lesson, not to cry all over you.”

“I think we’ve both been through enough today.” Lex plastered on a smile. “What do you say to pizza and a movie? We ought to be able to get something nearby that’ll make it past security.”

“I think… that sounds good.” Clark craned around to look at Lex, his smile more honest that Lex could manage. “Thank you, for everything. All the insanity aside, it’s good to have my friend back.”

That was a sentiment Lex could agree with whole heartedly. Once again, he felt a sensation that assured him he had both the organ and the emotions, but for once it was a good sensation.


	13. Kon-El

“Hey, Pops. I know I wouldn’t be by this month, but you will not believe the rumors floating around….”

The slam of the sliding door woke Clark out of a sound sleep. He had fallen asleep to the movie some time after Lex had slid sideways and curled up against his side. He definitely had not expected to wake up to see his brother/son/clone coming in through the penthouse sliding door.

“Okay…. Maybe you will.”

“Conner?” Lex’s sleep filled voice spoke from around Clark’s stomach. It wasn’t until he looked down that he realized he’d wrapped his arms around Lex while he was sleeping. 

“Okay, this so something I really never expected to see. I thought Chloe was smoking something,” Conner said, laughter in his tone.

“She’s been blabbing?” Lex sounded quite a bit more awake, and his whole body stiffened as he started to sit up. Or tried to. It took Clark a moment to realize he had to let go for Lex to be able to move. “I’ll kill her.”

“Let’s find out what she’s been saying, first,” Clark urged.

“Are you really divorcing Lois?” Conner asked.

Clark had to swallow down a very dry throat before he could reply. “More she’s divorcing me.”

“Because of this?” Disbelief radiated off Conner.

“Of course not,” Lex snapped, shoving himself to his feet. “Clark would never cheat on her, even when she became a complete bitch.”

“Lex, I don’t blame her,” Clark said with a sigh. “I wish you wouldn’t.”

“She threw you out because you’re an alien,” Lex said, rounding on Clark to glare. “She already knew that. How stupid can she be?”

“Lex, don’t tell me it wasn’t a shock for you?” Clark protested. “It took a while, but she’s getting over it.”

“Is she canceling the divorce?” Lex countered.

“Umm, I hate to cut this off, because it’s very interesting, but… what the hell?” Conner scrubbed a hand through his hair and looked between his two genetic donors in confusion.

Clark winced. He so didn’t want to talk about that. “You get my message about taking primary for major events next month or two?”

“Umm, yeah. That’s why I’m here. Took some time off work so I’d be free.” 

“Drink?” Lex offered. He’d already downed two shots. “Hey, does alcohol have any effect on you? Clark says it doesn’t on him.”

“No,” Conner said. “I just like the taste.” He claimed the cup from Lex’s hand, filled it, and downed the contents. “Now will someone explain why Clark has somehow ruined the love of the century and you two are actually talking? I’d rather expected if Clark ever found out I was in contact with you he’d have my head.”

Clark sighed. “I might have protested in an attempt to protect our identities, but I’d never get mad. He’s part of you. I should have introduced you two when we found out…” It was a regret Clark had never admitted to himself. He was actually kind of pleased to learn Lex and Kon had been in touch all this time.

“Which is nice to hear after all this time, but still doesn’t answer any questions,” Conner said pointedly as he held his cup out of Lex’s reach. Those couple extra inches were just enough of an advantage he didn’t have to hover as well.

“Give me that glass,” Lex demanded.

“You hardly need more to drink,” Conner teased, this time adding some extra height with his powers.

“I do if I’m dealing with this conversation,” Lex snapped, bouncing on his toes. “Damned stuff hardly affects me these days anyway.”

“Don’t you have other glasses?” Clark suggested. He finally levered himself off the couch. If they were going to talk, he was going to raid Lex’s fridge. The pizza had been too long ago.

Apparently Lex wasn’t actually awake yet, because he froze, then turned to his wet bar and grabbed another glass.

“So, again, now that Lex is capable of getting himself drunk, what the hell?” Conner poured himself another drink once Lex set the bottle down.

Lex knocked back a double before speaking. “Your other father and I have recently discovered a few new and interesting things about Kryptonian midlife crises.”

“I think it’s more an old age thing normally,” Clark called from the fridge. There was still some of that pot roast from a few days ago.

“Which adds to my theory,” Lex said, his voice taking on that excited tone he had when making progress on a new project. 

“Which is?” Clark asked.

“Yellow sunlight. A lot of the folks on your list of Uchahvia members were ambassadors and explorers.” Lex smirked. “Which is why you’d better give Kon the full story.”

“Me?” Clark glared over the fridge door. “Why me? It’s your story too.” 

“You’re the Kryptonian,” Lex countered.

“Enough,” Conner snapped. “Someone explain before I start banging heads together.”

~o0o~

Lex was happy enough to suck down good scotch and pace around the dining room while Clark stumbled through the explanation of physical changes and screwed up aging cycles to their genetic son. Their son. He hadn’t often let himself think of Conner that way. His son, sure. He’d thought that a few times. Conner Kent, aka Kon-El, was also the only genetic decedent Lex had ever produced. Even if it had been Lionel that had ordered the creation of Kon.

But Lex had never really let himself think that Kon was also Clark’s son, even if they tended to call each other brother. He hadn’t dared think about it. Their son.

“I thought Chloe was cracked when she mentioned tentacles,” Conner said, slouching in the chair he’d claimed once Clark finally started talking. Between the two of them, the Kents had cleaned out the leftovers from Lex’s fridge.

“Who was she talking to?” Lex demanded. He did not like the idea that she was talking. That had to stop.

“Oliver. I overheard when I checked in at the satellite.” Conner frowned. “How did she find out?”

“Lois blabbed about me,” Clark said, “then Chloe planted a camera in Lex’s bedroom.”

Conner gasped. “What the fuck? How the hell did you miss that, Pops?”

“She bribed one of my agents to plant them and ignore them while it was his duty to check for bugs.” Lex smirked, though he was also quite angry. “I hope she enjoys knowing her actions destroyed Agent Saunders’ life.”

“Who else knows?” Conner asked. “I mean… this is pretty crazy, but I haven’t seen anything about it in the news.”

“Bruce,” Clark said. “Chloe, Oliver, Lois. Some of Lex’s staff know a little.”

“They think it’s a side effect of being prepped to be Zod’s host,” Lex said. “Or potential host in Clark’s case.”

Conner frowned. “Wait, they know about both of you?”

“Agent Miles needed an explanation as to why we’d become friends again,” Clark said, sounding almost as embarrassed as he felt about what he’d said to the Secret Service Agent. “The questioning was getting old.”

“That’s what you get for wanting to go through the front door,” Conner said dryly.

“I’ll put you on the approved list,” Lex said. Now that Clark was on the list, Lex finally had an excuse to include a reporter’s little brother. “Next time you can use the front door.”

“Pass,” Conner said. 

Clark looked over at Lex. “So, is Conner the reason you know so much about the JLA?”

“Hey,” Conner protested. “I’d never blab, even to him.”

“You think I needed to cheat?” Lex drawled. 

Shrugging, Clark said, “Worth asking.”

“I know because I’m very good at what I do.” Lex smirked and projected a bit of the joy of the hunt. He knew Clark felt it when those green eyes met his. “After all, I learned everything not to do with you.”

Clark laughed, and Conner and Lex joined in.

“You two are so warped,” Conner said. 

“So what does that make you?” Clark asked.

“I don’t consider point death rays at my girlfriends to be flirting.” Conner rolled his eyes. “I prefer flowers and a nice dinner to thugs and a case of kryptonite poisoning.”

“So do I,” Lex said, gripping Conner’s shoulder as he walked past on his continuing circuit of the dining room. 

“It’s complicated,” Clark said, and Lex was pleased to note that neither of them had complained that their behavior over the years wasn’t a form of flirting. 

“Hmm, sounds like.” Conner frowned again. “Umm, so do you think there’s a chance I’ll end up zrhog?”

“If I’m right and yellow sunlight is a trigger for the change, then I think it’s very likely,” Lex said.

“If not, given both of us did….” Clark waved a hand with an embarrassed smile. “Seems like it might increase your chances.”

Conner sighed. “Guess it’s a good thing I’ve never fallen in love.” He looked sadly at Clark. “I’m really sorry about Lois.”

With a wince, Clark nodded. “Me too. But I don’t think this means you should give up on a chance for love.”

“At least you’ve got some warning,” Lex added. He had rather hoped someday that Conner might find love, happiness, everything Lex himself had never found.

~o0o~

It had taken some talking, but they’d managed to shuffle Lex into bed around three in the morning. He’d actually been rather drunk by that point, and it had taken an impressive amount of alcohol to get there.

Clark, while exhausted, couldn’t imagine going to sleep just yet, and Conner seemed content to keep him company. Except for the fifteen minutes where Clark stole a shower in one of the guest bathrooms and Conner snuck out and grabbed takeout Chinese from a city where the restaurants were still open.

The food went down well.

“Thanks,” Clark said, gesturing toward the takeout containers with his chopsticks. Lex had been the one to teach him to use chopsticks, long ago.

“Seemed like the thing,” Conner said, grabbing the kung pow chicken for himself. “You know, your life is pretty screwed up.”

Clark snorted. “Trust me, I noticed that a long time ago. About age fifteen when a car plowed me through a guard rail into a river and I was fine.”

“I can’t imagine ever not knowing what I was.” Conner looked pained, felt horrified at the thought.

“I’m sorry I hid the truth about Lex.” Clark could feel his cheeks warm.

“Chloe told me, though who knows why. Martha confirmed it.” Conner was looking anywhere but Clark. “I… never knew how to bring it up with you. Every time it seemed on the tip of my tongue, Lois would go off on a rant of all things Luthor.”

Clark sighed. Those rants had long since grated on him as well, but he’d never brought himself to confront Lois about it. “I’m sorry. I should have stopped her. Chloe too.”

“And Oliver? Come on, Clark, they’re your friends, your wife, but you’re not responsible for their opinions or issues. Stop carrying the guilt of the world.” Conner jabbed at Clark with his chopsticks with each word.

“And maybe one of these days I’ll succeed… but it doesn’t seem to be in my nature.” Clark shoveled some beef with broccoli into his mouth before he said anything else stupid.

“So… you and Lex?”

“So, you and Lex,” Clark countered. “He the reason you’ve been free to flit from job to job the way you do?”

Conner smiled, no, smirked. The face was mostly Clark Kent, but that smile was pure Lex Luthor. “I approached him before the end of high school. I needed to know….”

Clark nodded. “You needed to know who you are.”

“It’s an adopted kid thing, or so Martha said. And Lex… he took one look at me and welcomed me with open arms.” Conner leaned back in his chair, his eyes wide with remembered shock. Clark could feel every emotion flowing through his brother. “He never asked anything, not my name, not how I came to be. I told him eventually, but never anything about you or the JLA.”

“I know,” Clark assured him. “I was teasing him, not you.”

“When I graduated, he handed me the paperwork to a trust fund in my name, said I was free to do whatever I wanted, just that he wanted to make sure I’d always have options.” Conner again wouldn’t meet Clark’s eyes. “I knew, from your stories, that Jonathan would never have approved. So I never told Martha.”

“She would have understood.” Clark was certain of that. Mom would have let him keep the truck. “I admit, I might have been a challenge.”

“What changed?” Conner asked. “I mean, while it’s great to see the two of you getting along, I never expected it. Ever.”

Clark ran a hand through his hair, back and forth across his scalp. “I was shocked out of my complacency. It’s easy to just believe nothing can change, to never try…. Lex came to me for answers about… “Clark waved his hand towards himself. “And then offered the hand of friendship when he realized everything in my life was falling apart.”

Conner looked thoughtful, and Clark felt a burst of contentment and pleasure he wasn’t quite sure what to make of. Then Conner smirked. “You two looked like more than friends on that couch.”

It was hard, but Clark took a deep breath before letting the first, defensive, answer cross his tongue. “I’m still married to Lois.”

“For the moment,” Conner said, perceptively. 

“When that’s no longer true… I don’t know.” Clark hadn’t let himself think about it much. “Being zrhog… there are consequences, side effects. We need to spend time together, maybe were drawn together. I don’t know….”

“Clark… Pops has been in love with you for… God, as long as I’ve known him. Given the animosity between you two at that point it probably started back when you were friends.” Conner leaned forward, his expression earnest. 

Clark couldn’t process that, couldn’t begin to even begin to let the thought into his head. So he latched onto a thought he could face. “Why do you call him Pops?”

“I picked Pops to irritate him.” Conner chuckled. “But really… how else do I describe our relationship? Genetic donor?”

“Was I wrong to insist on being your brother?” From time to time that question had crossed Clark’s mind. It had seemed the right thing when he’d first discovered this lost boy with his own face. Conner had only looked six years younger. How could he have a son so close in age?

Conner shrugged. “Who knows what was right or wrong in such a unique situation.”

“You’ve thought about it.”

“From time to time. Just like you’ve thought about what it meant to be alien or whether you should have listened to Jor-El more than Jonathan.”

“Or whether I should have supported Lex more.” That thought had crossed Clark’s mind a lot lately. How different could things have been? “You should talk to J’onn about some mental training. If you haven’t.”

“Why?”

“Becoming zrhog increased my mental abilities, but also showed me I’d always been more susceptible to the emotions and opinions of others than I realized.” Clark shivered at the memory of seeing how Lois’ opinions had blanketed his mind. “You’d probably benefit from some training.”

“J’onn offered me some, back when I was rebelling a lot,” Conner said. “I stuck with it until I was sure I could block anyone I wanted. Nothing else seemed important.”

“It’s up to you if you want more.” It was Clark’s turn to glance away. “We have… a bond. Mentally. I had a bunch, but most of them shattered over the years. Ours is still there.”

“I know. I don’t really understand them, but I can feel them sometimes. Around you. Around Lex. I knew he was home because I could feel him. If I’d thought about it I’d have noticed you the same way.” Conner smiled and popped the last shrimp in his mouth. When he was done chewing and had swallowed, he said, “I’ve never felt him feel so content before.”

Clark glared. “You’re going to keep harping on that, aren’t you?”

“From now until the end of the world,” Conner said. “Doesn’t every child of a broken family long for their parents to get back together?”

Laughter burst from Clark, and Conner joined him. It felt… really good.


	14. The Hidden Island

When Lex surfaced from his room, washed, dressed, and mostly over his excesses of the night before, the sun was barely above the horizon. Yet he found Clark and Conner awake and bantering with the cook, and eating out the restocked kitchen as fast as she produced food.

“Bloody Kents,” Lex muttered, and two dark heads popped up, looked, and smiled. A warm throb burst through Lex’s heart at the sight of those matching smiles.

“Morning, Lex,” Clark said.

“How’s the head?” Conner chirped at just high enough a volume to go straight through Lex’s skull. He was mostly over his excess, not completely over it.

Lex stalked to the coffee maker and poured himself a mug without answering. His actions were punctuated with Kent laughter.

“Really,” Clark said as Lex sat stiffly at the table, “how are you, Lex?”

“Fine,” Lex said firmly. “I slept most of it off.”

Conner chuckled evilly.

“Behave,” Lex ordered, and Clark slapped Conner upside the head, earning himself a wounded look. “So what’s the plan for the day, Clark? I do hope you’re not planning to face the office.” _And Lois_.

“Nah, sold Perry on a piece about the state of the farming communities. I’ll be doing interviews the next few days.” Clark dug into a large omelet that the cook slipped onto his plate. It seemed to include an entire salad bar.

“Phone interviews?” Lex asked, and waved off an offer of a similar omelet, ordering some fruit and toast. 

“Face to face,” Clark said.

Lex frowned. “I do believe I remember you saying Lois could keep the car.” Conner shot a concerned look. “How do you intend to get to those interviews?”

Clark glanced at the cook, then glared at Lex. “The bus.”

Conner rolled his eyes. “Oh for the love of… buy a car, or at least rent one.”

“No money,” Clark muttered.

“You got how much for the farm?” Lex asked, unable to comprehend. Sure Clark didn’t make that much at the Daily Planet, but he wasn’t skint.

“Mr. Brown said it’s all tied up until the divorce is final. Most of my pay is in a joint account, also tied up.” Clark shrugged. “I don’t mind the bus.”

Lex rubbed a hand over his scalp and sipped his coffee.

“Come on, Pops, you can’t let him do that,” Conner protested when Lex stayed silent. Good thing this cook was discrete and already used to Conner showing up randomly, eating everything in the house, and calling Lex ‘Pops.’ She’d never even asked about it. Lex gave her a bonus every time Conner came over, which probably didn’t hurt.

Sighing, Lex stood and walked to the landline. The chart by the phone provided the necessary number.

“LuthorCorp, Security Front Desk.”

“This is Lex Luthor. I’m sending down Clark Kent shortly. Give him a pass to the private garage and tell the staff to let him borrow anything that catches his eye.”

The man on the other end of the line gasped, but pulled himself together. “Password please, Mr. Luthor.” Just what he was supposed to ask.

“Three point one four one five nine two six.“ 

“I’ll take care of it, Mr. Luthor.”

Lex hung up.

“Lex,” Clark protested. “I can’t take one of your cars.”

“Not like I’m allowed to drive them,” Lex said, sauntering back to the table. “You need a car, I have an excess. There’s even some boring ones these days, what with hauling a staff around. Take whatever suits your sensibilities.”

“I can’t….” Clark frowned. 

“Yes you can,” Conner said. “Come on, Clark, let your friend do you a favor.”

“My insurance policy isn’t going to cover one of your cars, Lex.” Clark was still protesting, but Lex could feel him starting to give in, even with the distance between them. Or maybe it was the look in those green eyes.

“I don’t think I ever took you off my policy,” Lex replied, and definitely felt a burst of surprise that wasn’t his. Maybe they were rebuilding an emotional bond between them. Nothing had seemed to fall into place when they tried the other day, but maybe it wasn’t a matter of trying.

“I’m on your insurance policy?” Clark was frowning, but Lex wasn’t sure if the expression was for him or Clark’s empty plate. 

Conner snickered, then was distracted when a huge omelet, matching the one Clark had already polished off, landed on his plate. “Mrs. Conroy, you are the best.”

“Since you were sixteen and started borrowing my cars,” Lex said. To his surprise, his stomach growled. Normally he wasn’t much of a breakfast person.

“Eat, lad. Food is fuel, and will make up some of the lack of sleep,” Mrs. Conroy said, slipping his order in front of Lex. Finally. She patted him on the shoulder before going to cook something else. Lex wasn’t sure what the doughy concoction was, but it smelled good.

“Lex, I shouldn’t….” Clark flustered. “Even if you did… why would I still…?”

Lex shrugged. “Never bothered to take you off. It’s not a big deal, and it’s useful now.”

“Never bothered? That must have cost you a fortune over the years.”

Conner started laughing, forcing words out slowly through his mirth. “Have you seen how many cars Pops has? Really, Clark, a year’s insurance on the Ferrari, just for him, probably costs as much as you’ve ever paid for insurance.”

“More,” Lex said, trying a quick mental calculation before giving up for a lack of information. “The insurance companies have only recently stopped punishing me for all the cars I went through in Smallville. Paying for you was chicken feed next to my premium, even at sixteen.”

Clark let out a bark of laughter, then shook his head.

“Come on, take the car, for my peace of mind. Leave it in a parking lot and take the bus for all I care, but take the offer.” Really, Lex had hoped the days of Clark refusing every gift were finally over. “Might even still have a truck.”

That got Clark’s attention. Those green eyes bored into Lex, the edges suspiciously bright and wet looking. “Thank you,” he finally said.

Hopefully Clark would give in as gracefully when Lex presented him with a new apartment in a decent neighborhood with a ‘corrected’ rate. While Lex would be more than happy to move Clark into the Penthouse, even a guest room if he must, that wouldn’t do until the divorce was over. Once the divorce was settled however….

Lex was looking forward to his future plans. Perhaps for the first time in two years.

~o0o~

Clark liked the inside of Lex’s mind. Where Clark’s mindscape was rocky and barren, more reminiscent of the Kryptonian desert than anything on Earth, Lex’s mind was rich with plant life. Sections reminded Clark of the fields around Smallville when they were young. Others were more like the plains around the ranch Lex’s mother had owned in Montana. On the horizon were always the bright and shining towers of a perfect Metropolis.

Rather than the colored strands running off into the sky that represented Clark’s emotional bonds, or bond at present, Lex had patches of infrastructure and certain areas of the fields and gardens that carried the echoes of those he was close to. The roads still contained echoes of Lionel, though Clark was helping Lex smooth that out. There were more such patches than Clark had expected, which had them wondering just how many remnants of Kryptonian gifts were lurking around in Lex’s body and mind.

The garden that carried echoes of Clark was a little creepy, but Lex insisted the green shade of the roses was reminiscent of Clark’s eyes, not kryptonite. They were starting to bloom again too, just like the lavender line in Clark’s mind was growing longer. Hopefully, once the bond between them stabilized, they’d be able to handle an indefinite amount of time apart. Not that Clark was dying to have to spend time away. The last week, spending a few hours every evening with Lex, some of that in Lex’s mind, had been amazing.

But that wasn’t what Clark was thinking about, or even working on, right now. Lex was focusing on strengthening his shields, looking for a way to keep Clark out, while Clark poked his nose around. Sniffing a flower might give him access to a memory of Lillian Luthor. Walking through a field held memories of various meteor mutant attacks. But what Clark was really interested in right now was exploring the one corner of Lex’s mindscape that didn’t fit in.

Clark noticed it earlier in the week, a patch of sand in Lex’s otherwise lush mindscape. Clark had asked about it, but Lex couldn’t see it and had been confused by the question. So Clark had waited until Lex was distracted to explore.

Getting closer, Clark could see the patch of sand was surrounded by water. After he touched down on the sand, the water seemed to fill to the metaphorical horizon, the rest of Lex’s mind lost in the distance. Strange. The sound and smells of the sea filled Clark’s senses, the air seemed warmer, positively hot. No other place in Lex’s mind had been so present to all senses.

There were footprints in the sand. 

And they didn’t look like Lex’s feet.

A scruffy head, topped by long dreadlocks, covered in sunburn and sores, popped over the top of the nearest sand dune.

Clark frowned, taking in the unfamiliar visage. Since he was inside Lex’s mind, this had to be a part of Lex in some way, but not a part Clark knew. None of the people Lex knew had shown up as a figure within his mind, so this person was important somehow. “Hello?”

“Who’re you?”

The voice was completely unfamiliar. “Clark. You?”

“Louis. How’d you get here?”

“How’d you get here?” Clark countered. This person, figure, figment, whatever, felt like Lex, so this definitely wasn’t an outside intrusion or echo of someone else.

“I’ve always been here.”

Clark looked around again, taking in the apparent sandy beach and surrounding water. An island.

Oh.

“I remember him mentioning a Clark,” Louis said, standing so he was mostly in view. His clothes were torn, dusty rags, all light fabrics. “He thought you were going to rescue him, said you always had before.”

A jolt of emotional pain ran through Clark, most of it his but some coming from Lex. Failure. That summer had been one of massive failure, not just his failure of Lex, but that had been a large part of it.

“Not always,” Clark whispered.

Louis smirked and sauntered down the dune he’d been hiding behind. Just before his head dropped back out of view, he turned back and asked, “Coming?”

Clark jogged up the dune and down, until he caught up with Louis. Beyond the dune, the sand vanished under a thick growth of jungle greenery. A small stream meandered out of the trees towards the ocean. Clark wondered if the island Lex had crashed on looked exactly like this, or just somewhat similar.

“You fail him often?” Louis asked. “I don’t get out much, if you know what I mean.”

“Often enough,” Clark said, flashes of memory hitting him, almost overlaying his view of the island and Louis. It was a top ten hits of his failures regarding Lex, including Belle Reve and Zod right at the top. “I’m hoping to buck the trend from here on, though.”

Louis grunted something that might be agreement and might be disapproval. “I miss Lex. He doesn’t come around anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I scared him off.”

“Why would you think that?” Clark asked, probing this intriguing aspect of Lex’s psyche, because that was clearly what Louis was. Clark didn’t know why Lex had developed this companion while he was on the island, though creating a companion did make a measure of sense. Humans weren’t meant to be alone.

“Introduced him to my father.” Louis laughed, and Clark felt something of a shiver go down his spine. It was rather reminiscent of the laugh Lex sometimes let out when he was playing with kryptonite death rays. “He didn’t take it well.”

Louis paused next to a pool in the stream. Something glinted under the water, and Clark took the hint. He leaned over and grabbed the gold chain catching the light. Lifting, he found it was attached to a decomposing skeleton.

“Your father?” Clark asked.

“It was him or me,” Louis crowed. “Him or me, man. We couldn’t both survive here.”

Clark nodded, releasing the chain and watching the skeleton vanish back under the waters of Lex’s subconscious. He turned to Louis. “Thank you for explaining.”

“You’re awful calm, man. Thought you’d freak. Lex did.” Louis looked quite disappointed. “Called me psychotic.”

“Only because it is his own fear,” Clark commented. It all made rather a lot of sense now. “Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be so lonely around here soon.”

Louis looked confused, but Clark didn’t linger to talk further. He pushed himself outward and upward, and a moment later opened his eyes to a close up view of Lex’s face, their foreheads still pressed together.

It took Lex a moment to croak out, “Did I do that?”

“No,” Clark said. “Sorry, I need to show you something. Come to my mind?” 

Closing his eyes, Clark sank into his own mindscape, and felt Lex reach out through their physical contact until he appeared on barren rock as well.

“What’s wrong?” Lex asked. The dark sky above Clark’s mindscape expressed his inner turmoil at his discovery, even if Lex hadn’t been able to feel the emotions through their linked skin.

Clark smiled. “Nothing. I just wanted to show you something.” Their destination was a cliff face in a corner of Clark’s mind. At the base was a cave opening full of dark shadows.

“What is this?” Lex asked. “I’ve never noticed such a dark place in your mind.”

It was hard not to giggle like an idiot. “Oh, Lex. There are plenty of dark places in my mind. No one is all light.” Clark wanted to take Lex’s hand, but touching in the mindscape was dangerous. J’onn had provided extensive warnings about personality bleed over and getting trapped within the mindscape. “Come on.”

Lex frowned, but followed into the dark. They didn’t have to go far. Kal was lurking just beyond the first curve, looking suave and in control despite the dark and dirty surroundings. He looked just like Clark, but younger, his apparent age trapped at that of when he was created in Clark.

“This is Kal,” Clark said. “Kal, you remember Lex.”

Green eyes glared at them both and Kal spat something impolite about humans in Kryptonian.

Clark smacked the other figure across the back of the head the way he would Conner. “You’re Kryptonian. Respect the universe’s only zrheg.”

The look of contrition was faint, but there.

“Clark?” Lex cut in before Clark could get into an argument with his other self. “Who is this? What is this?”

“Me, to be honest,” Clark said, and laughed when Lex glared. “Hang in there, it’s a long story. Summer after junior year in high school I vanished.”

“I remember.”

“My father’s AI sucked me into the walls of the caves and brainwashed me into being a perfect Kryptonian. Emotionless, dedicated to controlling the Earth, and inclined to listen to everything that bastard computer told me.”

Lex frowned. “Complete control? Including flying?”

“I don’t remember a lot, but I think so. Mom used Black Kryptonite to split Kal from me and let us duke it out for control. When I won, I thought he’d been destroyed.”

“Apparently not,” Lex said pointedly. “And I might know some of what you were up to, or he was.”

Clark felt his stomach sour. “I… I didn’t hurt you? Did I?” 

Kal crossed his arms, slouched against the wall, and smirked.

“Just wrecked another plane and stole something.” Lex both sounded and felt more than a little bitter.

“I’m sorry.”

Lex’s hand reached out to Clark’s arm, and froze just before he made contact. “Sorry.” Lex pulled back. “It’s okay. Water long under the bridge. So... why is he still here?”

“My father’s AI used my own dissatisfaction with life on the farm, with hiding myself, as a basis for the brainwashing. J’onn says that while that base didn’t give Kal the strength to beat me, it did give him a foundation to linger. I’m working on reintegration.” Clark shrugged. It would be a long, slow process to ever fully integrate Kal into his own identity. Then again, Clark had a few centuries at least to work on it. 

“So… not that it isn’t nice to learn exactly what happened to my plane all those years ago, but why am I here?” 

Clark waved Lex back out of the cave, ignoring how Kal glared at their backs. Kal was pretty much trapped in the cave, and had been since the fight. If J’onn hadn’t spotted him, Clark might never have learned Kal was there at all. 

Once they were back under the roiling sky of Clark’s mindscape, Clark said, “I met Louis today.”

Lex froze, his expression blank. In fact, his whole emotional state projected emptiness. “Who?” 

“Louis. On the island.”

A burst of terror slammed into Clark and Lex vanished from his mindscape. When Clark pulled himself into the real world, Lex was already scampering back across the couch. Clark reached out and grabbed Lex’s wrists, pinning his friend in place.

“Let me go,” Lex spat.

“Calm down,” Clark countered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Scare me?” Lex growled and tugged against Clark’s grip. Tears glittered in his eyes. “You show me Kal and then say you’ve met the psychopath who doesn’t exist from one of the worst fucking summers of my life. What the hell did you expect?”

“I had hoped introducing you to Kal would make learning about Louis a little less scary.” Clark pulled Lex closer and tucked the, slightly, smaller man against his chest. “You’re not the one with an alternate bit of yourself wandering around.”

“I don’t have an insane AI as an excuse,” Lex muttered into Clark’s shirt, which was getting a little damp.

“No, you have an insane father who’d tried to kill you repeatedly. You were lonely, sick, and hurting.” Clark pressed a kiss to Lex’s bare scalp, something he’d wanted to do for some time. A burst of contentment rattled through the panic and terror that Lex was projecting, but only for a moment. “Now that you know, you can do something about it.”

The damp patch on Clark’s shirt doubled in size in a moment. Lex’s shoulders shook under Clark’s grip. Anger and fear roared through both of them with every tear, until both began to trickle off. “I hate shrinks.” 

Clark had to laugh, his own cheeks now damp. “After what your father did, I can’t blame you.”

“Which time?” Lex growled. Through his tear thick throat, the sound was almost cute. 

Pressing another kiss to Lex’s head, Clark said, “Any and all. You don’t need a shrink for this. J’onn would be more help.”

Lex snarled and tugged against Clark’s grip. This time Clark let him go. But Lex didn’t go far. He curled up in a ball around a cushion in the far corner of the couch. His eyes still glittered damply, but both emotions and expressions were beginning to balance out.

“He’s been helping me,” Clark said. “I think you should see him anyway. He can train you better than I can.”

“Hmmm.” Lex shot a speculative look across the couch. “You training me is probably better for both of us.”

Clark shrugged. “Just because you’re getting mental training from someone else doesn’t mean I’ll stop coming around.” Clark had no desire at all to stop coming around. He liked coming by, whether they were watching movies or working on training.

“I’ll make you a deal.” Lex stood on slightly shaky legs and stalked into his office in the penthouse. A minute later he reappeared with a piece of paper in his hand. “You check out this apartment and I’ll talk to J’onn.”

“What apartment?” Clark held out his hand for the paper, and found an address on it in a ritzy part of town. “Lex, I can’t afford a place in this part of town.” This was an argument they’d been having all week. Clark had been looking in buildings he could afford, but Lex refused to let Clark sign a lease in Suicide Slums.

Lex smirked as he settled into his trademarked relaxed sprawl on the couch. “Ah, but this isn’t an apartment. It’s a condo.”

“Lex,” Clark protested.

“I’ve got an exec heading to Paris for the next year. The condo is paid off. He just wants someone to crash in the guest room and keep the place occupied. You can’t be a complete slob but all he wants is utilities.”

Clark considered the address again. “Just utilities?” It sounded like a dream come true. Even for just a year.

“Yep.”

Tapping the page, Clark asked, “And how much of this is your doing?”

Lex frowned and shook his head with a disappointed air. “I heard through the company grapevine that McDougal is looking for someone and I set up the appointment, but the plan to have McDougal work in Paris the next year has been in the works for three months.”

Clark reached over and gently gripped Lex’s nearest arm, projecting contentment. “Thank you. I’ll go….” Another check found tomorrow’s date and seven pm. “Tomorrow.”

“And I’ll contact J’onn about lessons. Though I still expect you to come over tomorrow after.”

“Agreed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is kinda rough. it's been fighting with me for ages and I'm just throwing it up now so I can move on. Hopefully the next chapter will go faster.


	15. Cufflinks and Conspiracies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah ha, an update. I've been plotting and planning this, but I've been too busy to get any work done. I will keep working on it, at least until our boys are together, but it will probably be a slow and erratic update schedule. Sorry folks. I hope you enjoy all the same.

Clark tugged at this cuffs and fidgeted with the cufflinks that Lex had pressed on him when he awoke this morning. A new suit had not been part of his plan for the day, but when he awoke on the couch with Lex curled at his side, the billionaire had insisted on providing clean clothes rather than let Clark fly back to Smallville to change. Now Conner was staring at Clark, and smirking.

“You look good, bro.”

Which basically meant the suit was rather more fitted than usual and way higher quality. The shirt was silk. And Clark was not even thinking about the cufflinks. He was pretty sure they were worth more than the suit.

“Thanks.” Clark choked on the word. He felt uncomfortable in his own skin, though to an untrained eye Clark wouldn’t look all that much different. “What are you doing here?”

“Escorting you to work.”

Clark frowned. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“You think I’m letting you back in that office on your own? With Lois still there? You need backup, Clark.”

Crossing his arms was more of a Superman pose than a Clark pose, but Clark didn’t much care right now.

A slap to his shoulder caused Clark to turn to his left. Lex was smirking at his side. “You haven’t been in the office in a week. Let the kid go with you, show you’re not alone.” _Since you won’t let me go._

Clark didn’t have to use telepathy to sense the added sentence. 

“Can we take the Ferrari?” Conner asked with childlike eagerness.

“I am not driving the Ferrari,” Clark said. He’d been driving a small sedan that the Secret Service had probably bought. What would the staff think of Clark showing up in new clothes and a car he could never afford? He was not Lex’s boy toy. And Lois didn’t need the aggravation.

“Conner can drive it, and bring it back,” Lex said firmly. “But I am not letting you go over there without backup.”

Clark sighed, but nodded. He knew having company when he arrived would be nice, but he’d still be on his own the rest of the day. On the whole, he’d rather just get the jibes over with. But apparently it wasn’t his decision anymore.

Conner eagerly headed for the elevator, but while waiting for the car to come, Lex caught Clark’s hand and held him in place for a moment. Their eyes met, and Clark felt the encouragement and confidence that Lex was projecting.

Then the elevator dinged.

~o0o~

Roaring up to the Daily Planet building in a Ferrari would always attract attention, even if this one was a fairly tame silver. Doubly so when the license plate, “LEX XII,” made it rather clear who the owner was. So the whispering started before Conner and Clark climbed out of the cramped space.

“Can we consider something a little larger next time your need for speed overwhelms your common sense?” Clark asked. No, pleaded. There was a lot more room in that thing, or rather its predecessor, back when he was in high school and not quite so broad in the shoulders. Also, Lex, Lana, and Jessie had been rather smaller companions than Conner. They’d both been squashed shoulder to shoulder and door to door.

Conner just grinned as he headed towards the doors. “Hell no, big bro. That is still the best beauty in the collection. Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to take it out?”

“Probably since Lex brought it home,” Clark muttered.

Slapping Clark on the shoulder, Conner said, “Did I thank you for making it possible?”

Clark just sighed and tried not to break the elevator button.

Whispers of gossip somehow beat them upstairs, so Clark was the center of attention by the time the elevator doors opened on his floor.

“You always this popular, Clark?” Conner asked, snickering softly as his leaning in toward Clark’s ear earned gasps and snickers all across the large room.

“Not normally,” Clark said, not bothering to whisper. “Any chance you’re going to head out now? Find yourself a job or something?”

“I have a perfectly nice job. I left it behind because you needed me.” Conner elbowed Clark solidly in the ribs, harder than any human would be able to. “Remember?”

“Fine,” Clark hissed and stomped towards his desk. Lois was sitting at hers, eyes wide as she watched him approach.

“Clark. Conner,” she said politely.

“Lois,” Clark and Conner managed to say in synch.

“Clark Kent. Looking good.” Cat Grant appeared out of nowhere and began circling the desks, and Clark. “Who’s the identical twin?”

Clark sighed, and Conner snickered. “Stuff it, Cat. We’ve worked together how long? You know Conner.”

Her eyes widened behind those glasses that wouldn’t look out of place on a seventies drag queen with their sparkly, upswept plastic rims. “Conner Kent? My, my my. How you’ve grown.”

“Cat,” Conner said, tucking his thumbs in his designer jeans and slouching against Clark’s desk, looking every inch Lex’s son despite the obvious similarity to Clark. “You haven’t changed a bit. Except a little around the eyes.” Conner stroked right over where Cat’s crow’s feet were getting a bit noticeable.

Clark bit back a snicker.

“So which one of you borrowed one of President Luthor’s cars?” Cat asked. Her hands were empty, but you could see her sketching out the gossip column behind scheming eyes.

“That was Conner’s idea,” Clark said, dropping into his chair and flicking on his computer. “Something about riding in style since he had to leave his in… where are you living these days?”

“Yugoslavia,” Conner said dryly. “And you know I just have a VW. Construction doesn’t pay Ferrari rates.”

“Hmmm,” Clark muttered, then coughed softly, “Trust fund.” 

Conner turned slightly pink, but Cat just looked confused, so she probably didn’t hear it. 

“Course I’m not going to turn down the chance to drive something better while I’m here. Even if you do,” Conner teased.

“Get. Before someone does something stupid like deface that beautiful car down there,” Clark said.

“Hmmm, maybe I should stay a little longer.” Conner eyed Lois, who fixed her eyes firmly on her desk and away from those searching blue orbs.

“No more gossip fodder in my office. I have to work here. Go taunt the tabloids or something, but get,” Clark ordered.

“Whatever you say, brother mine,” Conner said, and thoroughly mussed Clark’s hair before sauntering out of the office.

“He going to be stopping by often?” Lois asked softly.

Clark shrugged. “He’s decided he needs to keep an eye on me in my time of need or some such nonsense.”

“Bigger question,” Cat cut in once she was done watching Conner depart, or rather Conner’s ass in its tight jeans depart. “Is your new sugar daddy going to be providing all your suits from now on because I gotta say”—She ran a hand over Clark’s shoulder and arm—“he’s got excellent taste.”

Clark pulled away before she could catch his wrist, and point out the cufflinks. The diamond accents were bad enough, but if anyone realized they didn’t match… how was he supposed to explain that one was Earth and the other Krypton?

“Lex is my friend, not my sugar daddy,” Clark snapped, pushing to his feet.

“Not what Lois said in her divorce—”

“Check the paperwork again, Cat, and go find your damned gossip somewhere else,” Clark spat, looming over the society columnist. 

Cat actually frowned and looked uncomfortable. “For now,” she said, trying to seem confident and flirty before sauntering off.

“She knows everyone,” Lois said, “but she’s getting a little old for the society beat.”

Clark sighed and slid back into his seat. “As long as she’s invited to every event Lex Luthor throws, no one will replace her.”

Lois raised an eyebrow.

“Not unless she really pisses him off. I’m not sticking my nose in,” Clark said firmly. He’d spent years using Lex. He wasn’t going to do that again. He wasn’t.

~o0o~

Lois insisted in going out to lunch together, then refused to say a thing in the restaurant. Clark didn’t know what to think. Well, at least she wasn’t projecting disgust so strongly. So maybe that was a start.

He was wiping his hands on a napkin after finishing his burger when Lois grabbed his wrists. He could have broken free in an instant, but was the one touching him and she wasn’t freaking out about it. So he let her rotate his wrists and look, until he realized she was looking at his cufflink. Clark tugged, not wanting to hurt Lois, but wanting to put his hands in his lap. Lois didn’t let go.

“He gave you these,” she said.

“Loaned,” Clark corrected. At least, he intended it to be a loan. Platinum and diamonds was more Lex’s thing than his.

“I think….” She tapped his left wrist. “This one’s Krypton, right?”

Clark nodded, his cheeks burning slightly in his embarrassment. Why Lex had such a set of cufflinks was beyond Clark.

Lois nodded sagely. “I remember the description. He said he had them made to honor Earth’s first interstellar contact, a reminder that Earth was just one home for life, but our home and we should protect it.”

Frowning, Clark asked, “What description?”

“The president’s wardrobe choices are always listed for special occasions.” Lois rubbed a thumb over the Earth cufflink, her skin dragging slightly against the diamond chips set around the edge, and the one near the middle. “He wore these to both inaugurations and every Christmas.”

Clark’s stomach clenched and his heard pounded. How had he not known? Well, he didn’t tend to pay attention to clothing announcements, either from the press secretary or in the gossip columns. So how would he have known? Except, he felt he should have known. Especially since—

“I bet this one’s Metropolis.” Lois tapped a nail against the diamond chip in the middle of the US on the right cufflink.

 _Smallville, actually,_ Clark thought, but couldn’t say. Or so the microetched Kryptonian symbols on the back implied.

“But this one?” Lois tapped the small chip set into the visible consonant on the Krypton cufflink.

“Kryptonopolis,” Clark whispered. City of his birth. “Capital city,” he added as a distraction.

“Huh.” Lois ran her thumb over the cufflinks again, tracing along the decorative boarder of diamond chips that almost let you miss the importance of the ones inset in the middle. “I always knew he was a bit obsessed with you… but this puts a bit of a new twist on it.”

She finally released Clark’s wrists, and he pulled his hands into his lap, hiding them from view. “When I saw them… I kind of thought he’d had them made recently,” he admitted. Like the suit. Though how Lex had produced a suit tailored for Clark when Clark hadn’t visited a tailor was a mystery.

“You need to keep track of the gossip columns a bit more,” Lois said dryly. “Especially if you’re going to be hanging out with Luthor.”

They were silent while returning to the office, but the air between them felt less strained. So, even embarrassed as he was, Clark called it a win.

~o0o~

Clark wanted very badly to curse, but knowing his mother would have had a fit kept the words behind his teeth. The guard at the building Lex had sent him to didn’t want to let Clark in, he was already fifteen minutes late to his meeting with the condo owner, Mr. McDougal, and Perry was waiting for Clark’s take on the latest press conference on the Petrovich scandal. And then probably planning to pull Clark off the whole thing. Damn it.

“Look, if you’d just call up—“

“Mr. McDougal didn’t leave your name,” the guard interrupted. “I can’t let you in unless your name is on the list.”

Clark frowned. “And what do you do if someone has a delivery?” This was completely absurd.

Before the guard could speak, Clark’s phone rang.

“Clark Kent,” he said, holding up his hand in the guard’s face with only a bit of vicious glee.

“Clark? Lex. McDougal just called. Said you didn’t show.”

Clark growled into the phone. “Petrovich threw another press conference and I’m running late. Would have called, but your note doesn’t include a phone number. Now the guard won’t let me anywhere in the building.”

“Where are you?”

Clark could almost see the frown surely on Lex’s face. “Entryway at the guard’s desk.”

“I’ll let McDougal know.”

~o0o~

Lex was hoping Clark would show up at the door or the balcony before long, so he was working in his office in the penthouse rather than down in the one where employees could find him. There were a few projects that could use some eyes on from above, but it could wait another day or two now that the Japanese takeover had gone through.

One thing he wasn’t expecting was for Clark to call instead of show up.

“Problem with the condo?” Lex asked, more worried than he wanted to admit. Maybe he should have checked out the place himself rather than trusting the internet search and the building plans.

“Don’t be absurd,” Clark replied. “It was perfect, as you knew it would be… for a condo with a larger square footage than my parent’s farmhouse.”

Lex chuckled. “So short tour then?”

“Give or take the rant at the guards it was ten minutes in and out, contract in hand. He even has a third bedroom and doesn’t mind if Conner sleeps over from time to time.”

“Or moves in for the year.”

“Leeex,” Clark whined, a tone Lex hadn’t heard since high school. “It’ll be a few months at most, then Conner can get back to his own life. We’ll figure this out.”

Hmm, that ended in far too confident and supportive a tone. He preferred the playful whining. 

“Did you talk to J’onn?”

“Are you coming over now that you have your contract?”

Clark sighed, but accepted the subject change. “No. I have to type up something for Petrovich’s latest conference, and Lois will want to brainstorm on what he’s trying to cover up.”

“You think he’s trying to cover something up?” Lex sat up straighter, thinking. He hadn’t paid much attention to the whole scandal, seeing it as just another miscellaneous political kerfuffle. He’d seen them come and go at a much higher level through his whole political career. That, and he didn’t really like Petrovich all that much. But maybe Lex should have been paying attention.

“No one spends that much time expounding on how supportive they are of the metahuman community unless they’re trying to counter something. Even in Metropolis.”

“Especially in Metropolis,” Lex countered, thinking of his father. “Just how much—“

“All of the last three press conferences have been to tout some new pro metahuman plan or other, and there were bits and pieces in every one since the initial scandal and people started digging into his past. Not that anyone has a clue what he was doing with the school records in the first place. Definitely wasn’t a sex scandal like everyone thought, no matter that that one affair came forward. Her story doesn’t compute.”

“Hmmm. Well, good luck with Lois. I hope someone else will be there to provide a buffer.” Lex wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying. There was something, something about Petrovich, niggling at him.

“Perry will be there.” Clark sounded less than pleased, much to Lex’s surprise, but before he could ask about that, Clark continued. “I’m here, so I’d better go. Catch you later, Lex.” Then he hung up.

Lex set his phone down with a disappointed glare, then turned to his computer. He might know where to find Clark’s answers. The question was, did he want to let that information out into the world?


	16. Dirty Laundry

“Look, Kent, I don’t want to do this anymore than you want me to. But you put yourself on that damned registry, so what other choice do we have?” 

Perry usually saved such growling arguments for his office, but Clark and Lois were the only other people on this floor, so they got the full effect while Perry loomed over their desks.

“I understand, Chief,” Clark said softly. He did. He didn’t like it, but he did understand that there was a potential conflict of interest when he wrote metahuman articles. Op-eds were okay, but the investigative stuff got tricky.

“I don’t,” Lois protested, and would probably have gone into one of her usual rants on how both of them were perfectly capable of being objective—because of course Lois had never been biased in her research—except they were all interrupted when the elevator dinged and someone stepped onto their floor.

Clark checked his watch, and yes, it really was ten at night. So why…?

“Delivery for Clark Kent?” the new arrival announced, glancing between Clark and Perry.

“That’s me,” Clark said, holding out a hand. He got a small box and a clipboard for his troubles. The clipboard indicated this was another hand delivery from Lex himself. Clark waited until the elevator doors closed behind the delivery man before he opened the box.

“What’s this, Clark?” Lois demanded, bouncing up so she could loom over the desk and see…  
A memory stick. And a typed note, unsigned.

_The log-in is your birth name. The password is when and where we met, the real first time. XX/XX/XXXXYouKnow._

Frowning, Clark ignored Lois and Perry, and slipped the memory stick into the USB port on the front of his monitor. The system brought up a lot in window immediately. Clark typed Kal-El into the log-in and 10/16/1989RileyField into the password.

Instant access.

Glancing at Lois and Perry for a moment, Clark sighed, and started flicking through files as fast as the two year old computer would let him. 

“Clark, what the hell?” Lois’ words didn’t really sink in, but her hand over Clark’s did slow down his movements a little.

“I might have the scoop of the century,” Clark said, closing everything and logging out of the drive before Lois and Perry could ask to see. “Except the conflict if interest is….” 

“Metahumans?” Perry asked with gruff gentleness.

“Amongst other things,” Clark said. He pulled the drive from the port and tapped it gently against his desk. What was Lex thinking? “I think this is Lionel Luthor’s dirty laundry.”

Eyes wide, Lois leapt for the drive. Clark almost crushed it just to keep it from her. “Give me that. No conflict here. Is Petrovich in there, because that would make so much sense.”

“Hang on, damn it,” Clark snapped, though part of him was pleased to feel Lois touching him willingly again. 

“Where did you get that, Kent?” Perry asked, always practical.

“Lex Luthor, obviously,” Lois said. “If I’d known making friends again would net us something like this I would have thrown you at him years ago.” She was trying to pry his fingers apart to free the drive, an utterly futile effort. But that wasn’t stopping her in the least.

“Let me….” Clark sighed and pulled out his cell phone with his free hand and dialed Lex’s number.

Lex started with, “You got the package?” 

“Why?” Clark countered.

“He’s dead.” 

Which produced a fascinating array of muddled feelings, even from half a block away, but wasn’t what Clark was looking for. “He’s been dead for over a decade.” 

“I can’t…. Someone should do something with that… shit. But I….”

“I can’t either,” Clark admitted, his wry tone somewhat canceled out by Lois’ yelp of pain as she broke a nail on Clark’s invulnerable fist. “Conflict of interest.”

“Because of me,” Lex said thoughtfully. “Though you and Lane have been lambasting me and LuthorCorp for well over a decade.”

“And because I’m in the metahuman registry. Perry knows better, but appearances say—“

“Perry knows?” Lex and Lois managed to say nearly in synch. 

Perry shot Lois a pointed glare, and Clark chuckled. 

“Smallville, Lex. He was there during the solar flares. And he’s probably not the only one who’s guessed.”

“You are beyond lucky you engender such loyalty in most people,” Lex grumbled.

“I know.” And Clark really did. He didn’t often acknowledge how damned lucky he was, but when he did…. Well. “But I can’t publish anything from this and not look biased one way or another.”

“I’m not exactly going to trust my father’s confidential files to any Tom, Dick, or Harry, Clark. Destroy it. I shouldn’t have—“

“What about Lois?” Clark cut in, and felt his soon-to-be-ex-wife’s eyes bore into him.

“She’s married to a metahuman,” Lex countered.

“Was, and once the rumors get around that’s part of why she divorced me people are going to lean the other way in utter confusion. Besides, she’s usually covered the beat when I can’t.”

“I could have sworn I remember you covering the military scandal during my second term.”

“I… might have helped… a little,” Clark admitted, glancing at Perry, who was glaring, “but that byline was all Lois.”

A soft growl echoed down the phone line. Then silence. Finally, Lex said, “You’ll keep an eye on her?”

“Of course,” Clark assured him.

“Anything labeled Top Secret is off limits. Unless she can find outside evidence and never refer back to something from LuthorCorp.” 

Clark’s stomach clenched. Top Secret? He hadn’t seen any of those files in his quick look. What had Lex given him? “I thought… Petrovich….”

“There’s several dozen scandals or scandals-waiting-to-be in those files. She can have the scoop on the lot as long as she finds alternate evidence to back things up. I suggest starting with Petrovich though. I took a quick look while I was copying things to send. Check the files from when he was working for the school department. Early two-thousands.”

“Alright. We’ll do that.” Clark released his grip on the drive, and it was snatched from his hand with near super speed. “Lex… thank you.”

“Just make sure no one else ever finds out how you got that drive.” The deep voiced threat would terrify most everyone, but it just made Clark smile. Before he could reply, Lex hung up.

“What just—?” Perry tried to ask.

“This password doesn't make sense,” Lois snapped, the drive already connected to her computer, Lex’s note in her hand. “I tried—“

“Lois, you've just been handed a couple dozen scoops. Be nice,” Clark said softly, coming around the desks and typing in the correct password. 

It didn't work.

Chuckling as Lois cursed and snarled, he corrected her spelling of his birth name, then inputted the password again. She shoved him out of the way the moment the directory came up.

“Start with files from the early two-thousands. Petrovich was working for the school district,” Clark prompted.

“And it was school records that started this,” Lois crowed, clicking away.

“Don’t let anyone see that, log out when you’re not working, and stay away from anything labeled Top Secret until we have time to go over it together,” Clark insisted, backing away.

Lois actually paused a moment, looking up at Clark with wide eyes shining with something similar to the love they’d held for so long. Similar, but not quite. She pointed a finger at him, the nail fractured. “We’re talking about that later. After I nail Petrovich.” She shifted her hand and the broken nail must have caught her eye. “And get a manicure. You suck.”

And she turned back to her computer.

“Kent,” Perry growled, but it wasn’t half as loud and angry as it probably should have been. “What…?”

~o0o~

Conner showed up at midnight with fresh Chinese food. At that point, Clark was still trying to explain the unexplainable. Why Lex Luthor had just hung LuthorCorp, and his father’s reputation, out to dry.

~o0o~

Lex was half asleep on the couch when Clark knocked on the sliding door from the balcony. Dawn was breaking behind Clark’s shoulders, still clad in suit and a well-tailored suit, though rather more rumpled than they’d looked the previous morning.

Waving Clark in, Lex tried to force his brain into a coherent state. After sending those files to Clark, he’d spent half the night second guessing himself and he’d barely dozed at all. So far CNN wasn’t reporting the end of the world, but part of him was still expecting doom and destruction.

“You worked all night?” Lex finally gathered the ability to string together words.

Clark just nodded, looking equally as tired as Lex felt, though there was new life building in his eyes as the sun danced higher in the sky.

“Lois?” Lex asked, not really sure what he was asking.

“Ecstatic,” Clark said, his tone a bit dry. “I think she’s got Petrovich half sown up already.” He settled heavily onto the couch Lex still hadn’t hauled himself out of. “I could probably pull the drive and keep her from uncovering anything else….”

Lex shook his head. What was done was done.

“LuthorCorp—“

“LuthorCorp is a huge company. I’m a very popular former president. And they’re my father’s scandals. We’ll weather any storms.” Lex wished he was quite as confident as he sounded. “And if we don’t… then I’m still a very popular former president and an excellent business man. And my father will be spinning in his grave.” The vicious grin wouldn’t go away, so Lex stopped trying to hide it.

Clark nodded, grinning a little himself. “Fair enough.”

They sat in silence for a few, watching the sun come up through the skyline of Metropolis. 

“You never did tell me how it went with J’onn.” Clark stood and walked heavily into the kitchen. Lex stayed silent, and soon the smell of coffee wafted through the room.

When Clark returned, a mug in each hand, Lex finally said, “It went fine. He agreed with your assessment of Louis and said you’ve done a good job with the basics.” Pausing, Lex savored a sip, and found Clark wasn’t too bad at making coffee, though a bit heavy handed. This was a little closer to press coffee than LuthorCorp coffee, but Lex could probably use the extra caffeine at the moment. “I’m not as strong as you, but he was impressed with the degree of ability I do have. For a human.”

Clark snorted softly. “Zrheg,” he corrected.

“Hmmm,” Lex murmured into his coffee. “So what did Lois find?”

“Just how long Lionel was doing experiments with metas… and how he identified them,” Clark said, eyes tight with emotional pain.

“Petrovich?” 

“He was fingering early onset second generation metas, the kids of those in their teens and twenties who’d left Smallville soon after the shower. Lionel paid well then… probably others pay well now.”

Lex scrubbed a hand across his bald scalp. “Asshole,” he muttered.

Clark’s big, warm hand settled on Lex’s knee. “Hey… So Perry ordered me away from the office today.”

Frowning, Lex looked over, only Clark’s eyes were bright rather than worried. “Today was your first day in the office in over a week.”

“And Lois is going to be driving people nuts all day. Besides, I gave him a two week series on nearby farming communities yesterday. And I thought… maybe… you’d like to come with me to the fortress, see if we can get something useful out of my AI.”

Lex still had three projects that needed eyes-on review, and he probably needed to do an in-depth review of all meta research given what was about to go public… but… yeah, it could wait.

“Yes.”


	17. Divorce Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not everything I'd intended to put in this chapter, but I thought people would appreciate something posted since I finally feel this incident is complete. The backlash is yet to come.

“All right, Mr. Kent. We’re third on the schedule.”

Clark glanced at the digital screen next to the courtroom door. Just as Mr. Brown had said, Lane vs. Kent was third on the list.

“Now,” Mr. Brown said, waiting until Clark looked back at his lawyer. “Let me give you a few warnings.”

Clark suppressed a sigh. He had a feeling he’d heard everything Mr. Brown wanted to say.

“Do not speak to Judge Campbell.”

Yep.

“If she asks a question, I will answer her. If she asks a question you need to answer, tell me the answer quietly and I will pass it on.”

“I remember,” Clark assured his lawyer. He hid a smirk as he overheard Lois getting the same earful from her lawyer. Mrs. Henderson seemed a practical, no nonsense type the one time Clark had met her. It had seemed the rest of the divorce would go smoothly, the lawyers just handling the details and filing the paperwork.

Until their paperwork had been returned and the judge set a court date.

“Well, listen again,” Mr. Brown said. “We don’t know why Judge Campbell insisted on a court date instead of signing off. We cannot risk antagonizing her.”

“I know,” Clark said. Lois’s voice got louder, irritation the main component. Poor Lois. She almost had everything double checked and all her backup references for the article series on Petrovich’s actions over the last several decades. Yet she was stuck here and would be losing at least half a day’s work. They might miss the deadlines for publishing in tomorrow’s paper.

Mr. Brown sighed. “Look, go calm down Ms. Lane before we are let in.”

Clark nodded and stood.

“And confiscate her PDA if you can,” Mr. Brown added under his breath.

Clark chuckled as he went and wondered if Lois would forgive him a few more broken nails today.

~o0o~

“Lex.”

“Mr. Queen.” Despite his anger at Oliver, only heightened by the bastard’s gall to come in with that laconic purr, Lex maintained proper decorum as his secretary escorted Oliver into his office. “So good of you to finally take the time to speak with me.”

Oliver settled into one of the guest chairs with an insolent slouch, more like a sulking teenager than a successful businessman. “Chloe had matters to attend to in Metropolis today, and I thought it was time to finish things between us.

 _Finish? Oh, Olie, I’m just beginning._ “Straight to the point then.” Lex sat in his chair, behind the desk, back straight, head tilted just down. He’d found the pose quite effective for reigning in over eager congressmen. “You and your wife subverted one of my secret service agents and planted bugs in my home and office.”

Oliver didn’t even flinch. Just raised a pointed eyebrow and slouched deeper into his chair.

“I do have evidence of the intrusion.”

Smirking, Oliver said, “You may have evidence the JLA was bugging you, but as a long time enemy of free people everywhere, why shouldn’t the JLA bug you?”

Lex leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and holding his chin just above his pointed fingers. “Ah, but when I add the evidence that Queen Industries underbid LutherCorp by a few thousand dollars on five different government projects, offering almost identical bid packages—“

“So we had the same understanding of the project.” Oliver was hiding it, but he was starting to look a little worried.

“I have evidence that there were bugs in my office the weeks those project bids were discussed in here, and the man who planted them will testify that it was your wife who paid him to plant them.”

“What evidence?” Oliver scoffed. “There’s no way to prove—“

“Meeting minutes, extensive paperwork—“

“All doctored, I’m sure. Besides, there’s nothing you can really do—“

“Oliver,” Lex snapped. “The only reason I haven’t handed this over to the authorities already is your long time friendship with Clark and his hope we don’t have to blow the cover of half the JLA over this. However, this does not mean I approve of you using the JLA as a cover to industrial espionage.”

~o0o~

“Lane vs. Kent.”

Clark followed Mr. Brown up to the front of the courtroom. Lois looked absolutely disgusted as she followed Mrs. Henderson. Probably because her PDA was in Clark’s pocket. Possibly also because the couple before them had been an absolute circus side show. Clark had wanted to laugh, but Lois probably wanted to strangle the both of them. The first couple of the day had been better behaved about custody for their children than the last couple had been about custody of their dog.

Judge Campbell looked a little stressed herself, but not over the last couple. She was looking at a stack of files one of her assistants had just placed on her bench.

“Ah, Mrs. Henderson. Mr. Brown. Good to see you both again.”

“Your Honor,” Mr. Brown said politely, and Mrs. Henderson echoed the greeting.

“Now,” Judge Campbell said, her eyes fixed on the files she was flipping through, “I have some very reasonable papers here. Perhaps a little light on support for Ms. Lane, but I see here she’s actually the senior reporter.” She raised her head and studied Mrs. Henderson and Lois.

“That is correct,” Mrs. Henderson said. “We are content with the arrangement as laid out in the papers we filed.”

“Interesting. Because I have a second set of papers here filed for Ms. Lane that contest every part of this arrangement.”

Clark bit back a squawk of protest. He could feel Lois’s denial and disbelief even as Mrs. Henderson stood.

“I filed no such papers.”

“I know you didn’t.” Judge Campbell tapped the files. “The question is, why did Ms. Lane hire a second lawyer and file around you?”

~o0o~

Lex was seething. He’d hoped that presenting Oliver with evidence of his wrong doing plus a few weak threats towards Chloe and the JLA would tie the bastard in enough knots to knock Queen Industries down a few pegs. But Oliver didn’t seem to care what Lex was holding over his head. Or about his wife.

In fact, they’d devolved to glaring at each other across Lex’s desk for the last ten minutes or more.

There had to be another opening. There had to be some weak point in Oliver’s defenses. Why had he come at all? Lex had been trying to set an appointment since Chloe had given up her backups, but he’d rather have spent today supporting Clark at divorce court.

Wait… “What business does Chloe have in Metropolis today?”

~o0o~

When Clark’s phone buzzed with a text message, he slipped it out under the table and checked it. Most of the people with that number should have known he was in court, and so no one should be contact him. Unless it was an emergency.

He gasped on reading, and immediately passed the phone over to Mr. Brown.

“Judge Campbell.” Mr. Brown stood as he interrupted. “I apologize for interrupting, but I do not believe it was under Ms. Lane’s orders that this second set of papers were filed.”

The judge frowned. “And just what do you think you suddenly know, Mr. Brown?”

“When Ms. Lane first filed for divorce, it was with a different lawyer, paid for by a friend.”

“I know this,” Judge Campbell snapped. “I have the original filing right here. The change in… reason for separation was a point of concern.”

Mrs. Henderson stood up. “Your honor, Ms. Lane was encouraged to file those papers fraudulently by her lawyer and her friend.”

“The same friend who was paying for this other lawyer?” Judge Campbell asked

“Yes.” Mrs. Henderson and Mr. Brown spoke at the same time.

“And is anyone interested in providing some names?”

“Miss Ping and Chloe Queen,” Mr. Brown said. “I have just received word that despite Ms. Lane firing Miss Ping, Mrs. Queen retained Miss Ping’s services and has continued to file in Ms. Lane’s name, but without her permission.” 

Judge Campbell raised a very pointed eyebrow. “You expect me to believe…?”

Mr. Brown nodded, and a glance at Mrs. Henderson showed she had no doubts he spoke the truth. Clark also nodded, and Lois looked livid.

“And your source?” Judge Campbell asked.

Clark couldn’t miss the sound of a room full of people listening with desperate attention. It was probably Chloe’s name that caught everyone’s attention. He leaned over and tapped Mr. Brown on the arm, glancing from the man to the room to the phone.

“May I approach, Your Honor?”

~o0o~

“Get out,” Lex ordered, standing from behind his desk and hitting the button that would summon his secretary.

Oliver just raised an eyebrow and slouched further.

“Oh no, you will get out right now. All bets are off. Clark has given me full reign for this one.” Lex held out the phone he’d been texting on below his desk, showing Clark’s reply to the warning.

_He’s yours._

“I will destroy you. I will destroy Queen Industries.” Lex smirked. “And I will enjoy every minute of it.”

“Try it,” Oliver snapped, finally coming to his feet when he heard the office door open. “You have nothing.” 

“You have no idea, Oliver. But I’m looking forward to you finding out.”


	18. The JLA

When security said Clark was in the building, Lex ordered his path cleared straight to his office and kicked out the lawyers he’d been coordinating with since he’d sent Oliver off.

“Go, start writing, but don’t file anything until I tell you.” As much as he wanted Oliver disposed of today, he’d better clear the timeline with Clark.

When Clark finally stepped into the office, Lex felt as though a weight heavier than managing the whole future of the United States had lifted off his shoulders. The change was more than a little disturbing, but he set the analysis aside for now.

“I’m sorry,” Clark said as soon as the door closed behind him. “So, truly sorry. I cannot believe they would—“

Lex cut him off before this could become a full Kentian lecture on friendship and forgiveness. “The only ones who should apologize are them to you. Chloe is supposed to be your friend.”

Clark let out a pained laugh. “Yeah, and now I’ve got to tell all our other friends exactly why me hanging out with you and letting you deal with Oliver doesn’t mean I’ve been brainwashed.”

“Can I help?” Lex asked after sucking in a pained breath. The whole JLA would probably need a talking to.

“Don’t file anything until tomorrow?” Clark asked shyly. “And Judge Campbell would like to see you at Courtroom Four first thing tomorrow morning.”

Lex frowned, reaching out with senses he didn’t really understand yet. All he picked up was amusement. Well, there was also fear and horror and shock and anger. But that was about the Queens. “What have you been telling your divorce judge?” he asked lightly.

“Less than you told your head of security,” Clark countered teasingly. “No, really, I think she wants to show off. Chloe and Miss Ping will be there too.”

“Then I’ll be honored.” Lex was now quite curious, but before he could ask for more details, Clark shrunk in on himself and eyed the city beyond the windows.

“I’ve got to go. I called a full meeting and they’re all waiting for me….” Clark ran a hand through his hair, eyes on his shoes. “I don’t know how long this is going to take.”

Lex finally stepped up to Clark. “It will take the time it needs to be done right.” He set his hands on Clark’s shoulders and pulled their foreheads together. “I’d offer you some backup, but….”

Clark chuckled. “That would just freak everyone out more.” He cupped his hands over Lex’s hips, impossibly warm through the tailored wool trousers. “Conner will be there.”

“Good,” Lex breathed. It was getting hard to think, a more and more common problem around Clark. The last month had been a trial. Much longer and his tentacles might learn to undo his zipper on their own.

“And I think Bruce will understand.”

Lex couldn’t get any words out this time. He could feel the warmth of Clark’s body all along his front, even though they were only touching at forehead and hands. Glancing down, he could see Clark’s trousers were twitching as badly as his own.

“Judge’ll… finalize the… divorce tomorrow….” Clark panted, his eyes a blurry blue so close to Lex’s own. 

It took every scrap of control Lex had not to lean in for a kiss. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would not need to resist anymore. He forced himself to release Clark’s shoulders and push away. “Tomorrow night… we’ll celebrate.”

“Tomorrow.” Clark licked his lips, eyes down to Lex’s mouth. Lex could feel the warmth of the stare. “Tomorrow sounds good.”

They might have stood there the rest of the day, or done something they would regret, if the intercom hadn’t beeped just then.

~o0o~

Clark had spent five minutes floating in the vacuum outside the JLA Watchtower before he’d been able to go in. It had taken that long for the scent of Lex to fade from his nostrils and for his tentacles to settle down. If he’d gone in before then, he would have given someone a hell of a show. He would have given someone a show in loose pants. In his uniform he was indecent.

It was strange to realize just how much he had come to want Lex. Oh, he’d been aware of the underlying sexual tension building. He’d masturbated to the pictures of Lex from the box several times, and might have abused his x-ray vision a few times as well. And yet, until they’d stood there, touching, with the knowledge that his marriage would legally be over tomorrow, he hadn’t realized just how strongly he felt.

Not to say that he was in anyway convinced that being zrheg wasn’t a factor. Because he wasn’t. He just didn’t care anymore.

“Tomorrow,” he muttered to himself in the airlock, the shoved the entire thing to the back of his mind. He did not need visions of Lex distracting him in the upcoming confrontation.

Conner was waiting by the pressure door. “Need to clear your head a little more?” He really did inherit Lex’s smirk.

“Tempting, but the natives are getting restless,” Clark countered, reminding his groin to behave. He could hear the gathered JLA members beginning to complain about the summons by someone who couldn’t be bothered to show up himself. He should suggest someone add sound baffles to the air ducts, or better ones, but he rather liked knowing what was going on throughout the station.

“How’d court go?” Conner asked, as if he hadn’t listened in or otherwise spied on the whole proceedings. He sounded way too smug to be out of the know.

“We got a very reasonable judge. She’s been quite… understanding.” Clark had a bit of a feeling Judge Campbell would be adding herself to his Christmas list and otherwise keeping an eye on him, but he didn’t mind. She had a maternal presence that he rather liked. And missed.

“Green Arrow is in a bit of trouble though?”

Clark elbowed his son/brother in the ribs. Gently. “Let me explain it all once. Not that you don’t already know.”

Conner just chuckled evilly and rubbed his hands together.

“Watch it. They’re gonna start wondering if you’re taking after your other parent.”

This time Conner burst into peals of laughter that continued all the way to the conference room, drawing the attention of everyone within.

A lot of people looked angry, a few others concerned. Bruce looked resigned. Clark wondered who he’d been bugging this time.

“Nice of you to finally show up, Supes,” Cyborg snapped.

“My apologies in the delay. I had to check on some details before I came to brief you all.” Clark ignored Conner’s continuing guffaws and shoved the younger man toward his seat. “I’m afraid I need to explain a few things that have been going on recently and how this is going to impact the near future.”

“Um, would this have anything to do with the email I got from Green Arrow this morning?” Flash asked, his finger tapping next to a mini tablet computer on the table.

Clark repressed a sigh. “I can’t be certain from that description, but very likely.”

Flash frowned. “Then Luthor really—”

A roar of angry shouts drowned out whatever Flash intended to say. Clark couldn’t parse all of it, but a lot of anti Luthor rhetoric was included.

Silence fell in a wave of scented air, followed by a hand slaming into the table. “Enough,” snapped Zatanna.

“Thank you, Zatanna,” Clark said, relieved when he found he was not silenced. Several others in the room showed signs that they were still trying to yell. “This briefing isn’t about what President Luthor did. It is about what Green Arrow and Watchtower did. Now some of you”—he glared at Cyborg and shot a concerned glance at Flash—“may not want to believe. That’s your prerogative. But I’m going to get my side of the story out there before Green Arrow in the hopes that some of you will listen.”

“Of course we will listen, Superman,” Wonder Woman said regally. “And if you speak the truth, we will believe.”

“Thank you. This all began about three months ago.” Clark explained Uchahvia, Kryptonian development, and how he’d found out about Lex, though he used general terms whenever possible. His genital shape was his own business. He admitted to his marriage’s self-destruction. He then went on to describe finding the bugs at Lex’s penthouse, his divorce, and the stolen data he’d taken from Chloe. Bruce and J’onn were shooting him supportive looks, but Cyborg just looked pissed. 

Finally, Clark explained what had happened that morning in court and in Lex’s office. “So, yes LuthorCorp is about to try to tear Queen Industries to pieces. If we stay out of it, Green Arrow and Watchtower are the only ones that will suffer.”

“You… you…” Cyborg stood, his face an alarming shade of purple gray. “You’re just going to offer up two of your own teammates to a supervillian?”

“Cyborg,” Wonder Woman said, her tone contemplative, her brow furrowed. “There is much here to consider.”

“Don’t you say Superman hasn’t tried to protect those two,” Conner cut in, thumping his fist on the table hard enough to leave a dent. “Luthor could have filed papers on industrial espionage and bribery within a week of finding those bugs. He didn’t, because Kal asked him not to.” 

“This is bullshit,” Cyborg said, his knuckles creaking as he leaned on the table. “Watchtower has bugged a number of dangerous people. We gonna turn her over to the cops for all of it?” 

Murmurs of agreement went up and down the table.

“Did Queen Industries use that data for criminal activities?” Bruce asked dryly from behind the dark shadows of his mask. “Honestly, if he bugged me, threatened my company and friends, and I turned him over to the police, would you all be so far up in arms?”

Startled silence followed that as some began to think for themselves.

“I’ll point out again,” Clark said firmly. “Lex Luthor has not threatened anyone in here in almost a decade, myself included. He served two terms as President of the United States, and did a fair job of it. I have disagreed with Green Arrow’s anti-Luthor agenda from day one.”

“Why?” Flash asked. “He’s your nemesis. Has been since Smallville. Green Arrow never got why you suddenly fell off the anti-Luthor bandwagon.” Behind the mask, he looked really confused and worried, and Clark couldn’t blame him. Bart was a friend, but he’d been playing balancing act between Superman and Green Arrow since the beginning.

Clark chuckled and shared a look with Connor. “I grew up. Yes, I had issues with all things Luthor when I was younger—“ The pressure door behind him slid open. “—but I hope I’ve grown out of most of the teen angst.”

“Teen angst?”

Clark instantly recognized that snarl as belonging to Oliver. He must have left Chloe on Earth, or Clark would have identified her heartbeat the minute she reached the station. Turning, he said, “Yes, teen angst. I honestly hate Lionel Luthor, but the man is dead and gone. Lex Luthor hasn’t always been the most righteous of men, but then, neither have you.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to that monster,” Oliver snapped.

Clark considered his counter, remembering a similar remark from Chloe, but Bruce beat him to it. “Seems your own issues with Lex Luthor are just as sophomoric as Superman’s,” he intoned. “He’s a monster? Are we talking business practices—because yours aren’t exactly much better—or how he looks with his clothes off.”

Several hisses of breath echoed through the moment of silence.

“Oh, wait, you’ve thought him a monster since he was nine and went bald,” Bruce continued. “Then again, as I recall, you didn’t care for the orange curls much either.” 

Clark had trouble not laughing at Oliver’s expression, even half hidden by his mask. Conner didn’t even try, his giggles echoing through the room.

“Really, Batman,” Wonder Woman said. “Perhaps Green Arrow would like to give his version of recent events.”

Superman bowed his head in acceptance and took his seat between Conner and Flash.

As Oliver started, his description of events somehow starting with betrayal and seduction, Flash whispered to Clark, “Sorry. He asked to know if anything happened behind his back. I emailed him before you got going.”

Clark nodded and patted Flash on the hand in forgiveness. And listened. It didn’t take long for him to wonder just how Lex had time to do all the evil things Oliver was more than happy to heap on his head, none of which Clark had ever heard of. Well, the belief that Lex had caused his change and Clark’s was a nice touch. Disturbing, since it was related to Lex brainwashing and seducing Clark, but a nice touch.

“It seems we have two very different stories,” Wonder Woman said. “But stories only, at present.”

Zatanna snorted. “Seems obvious to me. Green Arrow has been a trusted member of this group for years. Luthor has tried to kill all of us at some point, and have us outlawed in the United States.”

“Perhaps we should seek more evidence to back our friends’ statements than reflexive trust and conjecture,” Wonder Woman countered. 

“I can assure you that Zrheg is a legitimate gender in the Kryptonian race,” J’onn said from his end of the table. “I am unaware of any way to induce the change.”

“I can provide doubters with the data my archives have on zrheg, zrhog, and the Uchahvia,” Clark added.

“And if Luthor has gotten to you, he might have gotten to your archives,” Cyborg snapped.

Bruce cleared his throat, and the room, which had broken into mutters at Cyborg’s statement, settled. “I have read the data Superman speaks of. I have also performed extensive searches into LuthorCorp and Lex Luthor since Superman brought to me his concerns about Luthor and Green Arrow. I have not found any evidence of illegal behavior at LuthorCorp beyond some basic bending of the rules that most major companies participate in. My own included, I admit.” 

“You just didn’t look deep enough,” Oliver snapped.

“Perhaps,” Bruce said, nodding his cowl. “But I did find extensive issues with Queen Industries, from signs of industrial espionage—toward more than just LuthorCorp—to serious EPA irregularities. I’m quite worried about the waste runoff from your new plant in San Diego.”

A pained hiss echoed through the room, oddly musical if one weren’t used to the unusual traits of Aquaman.

“I’m sorry, Aquaman. I only discovered this concern last night,” Batman said.

“We will talk after,” Aquaman said, his eyes on Oliver, boring through the industrialist.

“Of course.”

“It seems we have much to consider,” Wonder Woman said. “Perhaps it would be best to review what information Superman and Batman can provide and meet again tomorrow.”

“You fools,” Cyborg said. “You’re all letting yourself be tricked by Luthor. Once a villain, always a villain.”

Clark stood, and let himself tower over his fellow hero. “Perhaps so. Perhaps not. But let me make one thing clear. Until someone proves Lex guilty of something, I will be managing him. Bring your concerns to me. I will investigate them, or find someone to do so. But anyone who attacks Lex is on their own.”

“Not promising to punish me for hurting your new master?” Cyborg taunted.

Seeing red, Clark had to close his eyes before he fried something. Or someone. So it was Conner who replied first.

He laughed. “Kal doesn’t need to do a damned thing, Cy, except stand back. Lex will take care of you all on his own. I’d also like to point out, Lex Luthor, nemesis of Superman, has known his secret identity for decades. Mine too. Never did anything with it. Probably knows most of yours.”

Clark opened his eyes as everyone started shifting and muttering nervously. “The point of that isn’t to get scared. Kon is trying to make the point that while we keep painting him the villain, Lex Luthor hasn’t ever come after us where we weakest. And I assure you, he knew exactly where my parents lived.”

With that, Clark stalked out, Conner at his heels. Might as well let everyone yell it out without him there. J’onn would help reign in the worst of it, probably. 

Still, as he walked through the station, he could hear Oliver.

“See? How could I not be concerned? Did that sound like Superman to you?”

J’onn’s reply made him smile though. “I have observed both Kal-El and Lex Luthor since their change. The bond of the Uchahvia is strong between them. A threat to one is a threat to both.”


	19. Divorce Court Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. This wasn't quite what I've been intending with this chapter, but hopefully you'll forgive me for adding the sex. After all, tentacle porn had been the point of this thing in the first place.
> 
> I promise at least one more sex scene before this is over. I think.

Lex wasn’t sure what to make of Courtroom Four when he stepped into it just before eight the next morning. Ben Miles had coordinated with security so there were only two Secret Service agents at his back, but the room was still fairly crowded. Clark and Lois sat with their lawyers at the front of the room. Chloe and a small Asian woman sat behind Lois and Conner was behind Clark. Those were the people Lex had expected, though he had wondered whether Oliver would show with his wife. Still, what he hadn’t expected was the clusters of men and women in suits filling many of the audience benches. He didn’t remember everyone looking this well dressed on any of his visits to divorce court.

He didn’t have long to wait and wonder though, because the bailiff announced Judge Campbell shortly after he claimed a seat next to Conner. 

“Good morning, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Henderson,” Judge Campbell said. “Do we have everyone we need today?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” the two lawyers chorused with a good degree of glee. In fact, most of the men and women sitting in the audience looked quite pleased.

“Excellent. Let’s go through this quickly and let everyone get on with their days.” Judge Campbell grabbed the first file off the stack on her bench and flipped it open. “Chronologically, first we have the initial filing for divorce. Ms. Lane says the reason for divorce was fraudulent.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Lois said.

“To make all this fair, you will be levied a fine of one thousand dollars, Ms. Lane.”

“Understood, Your Honor,” Lois said, sounding almost pleased at the fee.

Lex nudged Conner and whispered, “Tell her to add the fine to Mrs. Henderson’s bill.” He’d offered to cover all divorce fees just to make it all fair and even and Lois had been more than happy to accept. She at least knew how to accept a gift. 

“Now Ms. Lane and Mr. Brown explained that the filing lawyer, Miss Ping was not aware of the fraudulent nature of the filing,” Judge Campbell continued.

“That is correct, Your Honor,” Mr. Brown said.

“But that Mrs. Chloe Queen was?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Mr. Brown sounded too pleased with himself.

“Then the same fine will be levied against Mrs. Queen.” Judge Campbell sounded solid and practical, but years of looking at corporate poker faces showed Lex a hint of a smile forming on her face.

“What?” Chloe protested, half standing before the woman beside her, Miss Ping perhaps, yanked her back down.

“Mrs. Queen acknowledges the fine, Your Honor,” the woman said before beginning to hiss urgently at Chloe.

“Excellent, first file done. Next we have the second filing for divorce, claiming irreconcilable differences.” Judge Campbell looked between Clark and Lois. “This one is accurate?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Mr. Brown said, and Mrs. Henderson echoed him. 

“You’re a lovely couple. We’ve discussed a little of the logistics….” Judge Campbell paused a moment, looking at the couple again. “Any chance you two have changed your minds?”

Clark ducked his head, clearly unable to look anyone in the eye. Lex could feel embarrassment radiating off him, which probably meant his cheeks were red. Even Lois looked a little flustered.

“Mr. Kent? Ms. Lane?” Judge Campbell prompted.

Lois was the first to lift her head. “I love him.” She looked at Clark. “I will always love him.” She shook her head and looked back at the judge. “But I can’t stay married to him. I can’t love him like that, not anymore.”

“Lois,” Clark whispered, his voice as shattered as his heart.

She actually rolled her eyes as she turned back to Clark. “Tell me you don’t feel the same way? Or have I been imagining a few things?” Her eyes cut over and met Lex’s for a moment.

Clark’s cheeks were vivid, glowing even, but he didn’t look at Lex. He didn’t have to.

“Thought so.” Lois looked smug as she turned back to Judge Campbell. “The marriage is over. It’s time to move on.”

“Yes, time to move on,” Clark echoed.

“Very well then.” Judge Campbell nodded, but she looked a bit sad as she grabbed two more files. “I have here two files. One is the settlement signed by Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent, and the other is an injunction against the settlement.”

Chloe started hissing at Miss Ping.

“This injunction worried me and required me to call you all to court. Yesterday, everyone present explained to my satisfaction their understanding of the situation. However, Miss Ping, Mrs. Queen, you weren’t here. Would you care to explain to me why you filed an injunction on Ms. Lane’s behalf?”

Lex didn’t really listen to the badly done tap dancing that followed. He just watched Miss Ping get more and more frantic, watched Chloe turn redder and redder, a color that did not suit her at all. He filed a few details away, to give to his lawyers, especially when Chloe admitted, accidentally, sort of, to bugging his penthouse. It was the ending that was the most impressive.

“There is no reason for this injunction, and I am fully convinced, ladies, that you knew that going in. Therefore, I fine you for contempt of court, for filing a false injunction, and for lying to this court. Three thousand dollars each and ten days in jail might just get it through your heads that this court is not your private playground.” 

The audience erupted in cries of joy and applause. 

As Judge Campbell banged her gavel and tried to regain control, Lex heard Clark. 

_These are the other lawyers and judges who’ve been wanting to take Ping down a peg for years. That’s why we’re meeting before standard court hours._

“Enough, you all,” snapped Judge Campbell, and finally the room came to order. “Glad you’re all so happy. And President Luthor, the court’s apologies that your name was dragged through the mud in such a manner.”

Lex started, not expecting to be addressed directly during the proceedings. Since it seemed everyone was looking at him, expecting a reply counter to normal procedure, he stood. “Thank you, Judge Campbell. I know Miss Ping and Mrs. Queen’s actions were not sanctioned by the court.”

She nodded at him, looking pleased with herself, before banging her gavel again. “Then let me finish this off and the bailiff can deal with the offenders. Mr. Kent, Ms. Lane, I see nothing remaining to discuss in your divorce documents. The settlement is fair and reasonable. I apologize for dragging you both in here.

“I declare your divorce final. You’ll have the paperwork from the courts by this afternoon.” She banged her gavel again. “Court dismissed.”

~o0o~

Lex only got to see Clark for a moment once people started streaming from the room.

“Judge Campbell is going to want to see you in her office for a moment,” Clark said, gripping Lex’s arm to hold them together in the buffet of people. The way his fingers were sliding along the skin of Lex’s wrist had no excuse.

“I’ll see you after?”

Clark shook his head. “I skipped work all day yesterday. If I miss another, Perry’ll have my head. Tonight?”

“Dinner at the penthouse,” Lex offered, though given how Clark was looking at him, he wondered if he was on the menu. Not an unappealing idea.

“I might be a little late. Depending on how Lois’s article on Petrovich is going over.”

Lex caught Clark’s hand and twined their fingers together. “I’ll tell my cook to plan something that can sit.” The flush that rose in Clark’s cheeks was delicious.

~o0o~

Lex was pacing in the penthouse living room when Clark entered the space at nine-thirty that night. Lois had kept him at work to prep the follow up on Petrovich as well as approve everything to do with the new Queen scandal. The Metropolis Police and FBI had been very busy all day.

“Rough day?” Clark asked.

Lex’s head snapped up and a charge of want ran up Clark’s spine. “Productive.” He stalked toward Clark. “Though there was this niggling distraction much of the day.”

Clark cupped Lex’s cheek the moment the man was in reach. “Can’t imagine what could distract you. You’re always so focused.” And right now all that focus was directed at Clark.

“So… dinner? Or can we discuss that matter we’ve been… considering?” Lex purred. His hand cupped Clark’s hip, and all Clark could think of was what that hand would feel like on bare skin.

“Don’t want to fuck this up,” Clark admitted, tracing that stunning cheekbone with his thumb.

“Of course.” The expression on Lex’s face went blank and he started to pull his hand back.

Clark caught that hand and pressed it closer. “Thing is, I really want to know what your tentacles feel like twined in mine.”

Lex gasped, eyes dilating visibly as his cheeks burned with a surge of blood. 

“Think finding out would fuck this up?”

“Think not finding out would be worse,” Lex growled. His free hand slipped around Clark, fingers sliding under his belt, teasing the top curve of his ass.

“Oh good.” And finally, finally, Clark kissed him.

~o0o~

Having a super powered lover definitely had some advantages. Though it could have been just the intensity of the moment. Lex wasn’t entirely sure. From kiss to bed was one big whirlwind. Clothes seemed to vanish, making way for hot, fast hands to slide over exposed, desperate skin. Their lips never parted, and it didn’t take long for Clark to pick up Lex’s favorite tricks with his tongue.

The fun, however, really began when the trousers came off. Zrhog and zrheg were definitely made for each other, because nothing ever could possibly feel as incredible as his tentacles tangled in Clark’s. No need to thrust, though wiggling did happen, because all the sensation and pressure one could ever need was being provided right there, perfectly. 

Lex’s hands were free to cup Clark’s perfectly formed ass, to slide up the flawless muscles of his back, to tangle in those tempting curls.

Had Clark been anyone but himself, those curls would have ended up on the floor when the next stage hit. Lex’s fingers clenched tight, pulled, when a new sensation tore through him. Clark threw his head back and bellowed, his hands in fists against Lex’s sides and still they were going to leave bruises. But who cared.

Lex looked down between their bodies, and it all made sense. His penis, that strange, retractable tentacle, had slid from within him, as had Clark’s, and they were twisted together, entire lengths rubbing and twitching in exquisite pleasure.

After wiggling a hand free from Clark’s curls, Lex trailed gentle fingers along their lengths, shivering at the sensation. _Fascinating._

Clark shivered as well, hard enough to shake the whole bed, maybe the whole penthouse. “Not gonna last,” he gasped.

Lex met his eyes. “Good.” And pulled him down for another kiss.

~o0o~

Clark slid to Lex’s side and watched with fascination as their tentacles separated and slowly retracted to their normal positions. It took several minutes, each member sliding across Lex’s belly. Clark had never watched the aftermath before, usually masturbating before falling asleep. Several outer tentacles followed his penis into his inner area before curling up with the rest. It tickled.

“That was… amazing,” Lex finally whispered.

Looking up, Clark found Lex was looking at his face with eyes that seemed as blue as Superman’s.

“When can we do it again?”

The giggles started in Clark’s belly and worked their way up until he was shaking, half curled around Lex. He would have to remember this moment, when the one of the world’s best and hardest business man, a man who ruled the United States for eight years with confidence and panache, sounded like an eager teenager who had just had sex for the first time.

“I don’t know,” Clark finally said once he’d gotten some control back. “What’s your refectory period these days?”

Lex’s answer was interrupted by his stomach growling.

“Please tell me you ate something while you were waiting for me,” Clark said, sitting up.

“I’ve been too wound up to eat since court….” Lex admitted.

“You need a keeper,” Clark said, rolling his eyes. It took some effort as he was still more than a little lethargic from earlier, but he dragged himself to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Lex said, his arms outstretched and his hands making grabby motions at Clark. “Come back here.”

“Dinner, then round two,” Clark said firmly, though this tentacles were already twitching toward Lex. He grabbed Lex’s hand and pulled, gently, until the other man was on his feet.

Lex pouted, but gave in after another internal gurgle.

“Gotta keep your strength up,” Clark whispered into one shell like ear as Lex pulled on a robe. “I can keep going all night long.”

~o0o~

A thump on the balcony was the only warning they got.

“Hey, Pops, please tell me Clark is here,” Conner said even before he stepped through the door. The two men at the dining room table just looked at him. “Yeah, I could check,” Conner admitted, “ but I didn’t want to risk seeing more than a son should see of his parents.” The irreverent smirk was countered by his being dressed in full Superman regalia. 

“What’s wrong, Conner?” Clark asked. He was starting to wish he’d pulled on more than his boxers before coming out of the bedroom. There were still spatters of come on his stomach.

“I really, really, hate to grab you now.” Conner looked him over and winced. “Really, but it’s Israel and Palestine.”

“Again?” Lex drawled, and Clark couldn’t blame him. Lex had held peace talks twice at Camp David in his time as president, and Clark had played negotiator six times since coming out as Superman.

“They say they’re serious this time,” Conner said with a roll of his eyes. “They want Superman, full time, for the negotiations.”

“So? Off you go,” Lex said with a flippant wave, though there was a measure of concern in his eyes.

“I, apparently, don’t count.” Conner crossed his arms grumpily. “They want Kal-El only.”

“Full time?” Clark asked. He didn’t like the sound of that. He’d dedicated hours and days before, but the negotiations could last weeks.

“You’ll have to ask them to clarify, but yeah, that’s what they said to me when I showed.”

Clark’s heart sank. He looked at Lex. He didn’t want to leave. Not now. Especially not now. They had so much more to try, so much to explore.

“Hey, we’ll pick up when you get back.” Lex reached his hand across the table and caught Clark’s next to his plate. “We’ve got time.”

Clark gripped that hand, tangled their fingers together. That feeling reminded him of another tangling, and the dilation in Lex’s eyes said he felt the same. “What about the bond?” Even as he said it, Clark new he was scrabbling for excuses. There’d been a shift in the last week or two. They’d discussed it, even tried spending a few days apart.

“Clark,” Lex said, and that was all he needed to say.

“When?” Clark asked.

“Now,” Conner said. “Though maybe you should take a shower first. You umm….” He waved a hand past his nose.

~o0o~

Seeing Clark in his Superman persona did nothing to decrease the desire Lex felt for him. He’d showered, separately from Clark, damn it, and dressed in the hopes of providing himself a buffer. It didn’t work.

“I have to go,” Clark whispered. Lex felt the heat of his body all along his front even though they were touching exactly nowhere.

“I know. Good luck.”

“If I kiss you, I don’t think I’ll let go.” Red glimmered in Clark’s eyes.

Lex felt his heart swell in his chest. “Then you’d better go.” Lex took half a step back. Clark’s warmth still lingered. “And come back soon.”

In a blink of an eye, Clark was gone, and Lex was shivering with cold in the warm night air.


	20. Separation Anxiety

Lex reworked his entire schedule the minute he got to his office the next morning.

“Sir, I can’t cancel all these meetings. They need signatures—” his secretary protested

“Today?”

She frowned.

“Two days. It’ll take that long just to get the investigations going. Business meetings and research meetings can wait until next week.” Lex flipped through a list of projects LuthorCorp had done in the last ten years, looking for who he needed. “Contact these people. I need them up here this morning. And get Perry White on the line.”

“Sir?” Great, now she sounded worried about him.

“Now.”

~o0o~

_An auspicious beginning,_ Clark thought to himself, sarcastically. He’d been glad-handing for six hours already. Lex would be going to the office about now, unless he took the morning off.

“Who is laying out the talking points?”

Four aids and two presidents looked blank, even after Clark repeated the question in their native languages. Finally, the Israeli president grinned and said, “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we talk. Today we celebrate the beginning of talks.”

And take an awful lot of photos with every major media outlet, all centered around Superman.

~o0o~

“You called, Pops?”

Lex was half catatonic on his couch when Conner finally came in through the sliding glass door, but he was done. Two days spent ignoring his lawyers and cribbing off every computer research project LuthorCorp had ever done. Then adding to it. He wasn’t actually sure how he’d done it at this point.

“Pops?” Conner crouched at Lex’s feet. “You don’t look so good. Should I get Clark?”

It took some effort, but Lex shook his head. He wanted Clark back, but he knew his condition had nothing to do with the bond and everything to do with loneliness. Strange to be back in a state he’d thought he’d grown out of years ago. Or at least resigned himself to. After all, his political advisors had been quick to point out marriage might not be a good move, given how all his wives had tried to kill him.

“You sure?”

“Take this to him?” Lex held out the tablet computer he’d been holding in his lap.

“What’s this?” Conner tapped at the screen, pulling it from screen saver mode. “Kryptonian?”

“I can read it. Well, fairly well. There’s holes in my vocabulary.” Lex held up a second tablet. “Secure network through LuthorCorp’s satellite network. “

“So you guys can talk?”

Lex nodded, though it made him feel rather like his head might just keep rolling. Maybe that glass of whiskey while waiting had been a bad idea. “Set up an English mode too, with a backdoor to his Planet account.”

Conner grinned. “So he can file stories?”

Nodding was out, but no words seemed accurate, so Lex just stared.

“You’re the coolest, Pops. Expect a lot of messages. Clark’s bored as hell every time I check on him. Same old arguments, same old promises.”

“Figures,” Lex said dryly. He’d expected as much. The situation between Israel and Palestine had been in an impressive stalemate for a long time, and no matter how much they claimed to want to change, change just didn’t happen. The various leaders died, were replaced, and the new ones just did the same thing their mentors did. And Clark had sat through more negotiating sessions than Lex had. “Take it?”

Conner nodded, but then set the tablet down. And plucked the other tablet from Lex’s hands and set it aside too.

“Hey.” A surge of anger helped Lex sit up straighter, but it was purely Conner who pulled him to his feet.

“I’ll take it, as soon as I tuck you into bed.” Conner slung Lex’s arm over his shoulders. “Have you slept at all since Clark left?”

“No.” Lex tried to pull away. There was a reason he hadn’t been back to his bedroom. He didn’t remember what it was just now, but there was a reason. He was sure of that. Unfortunately, he was trying to pull away from a man who was almost as strong as Superman, the original version. Conner got them all the way down the hall and the bedroom door open before Lex remembered why the bedroom was a bad idea.

“Damn, Pops, thought you had a staff for stuff like this.”

He did. Except he’d ordered them to take the week off, cook included. Perhaps that last one had been a mistake. Lex wasn’t entirely sure when he’d last eaten. But he couldn’t stomach the cleaning staff coming in here and seeing… well, the mattress was mostly whole, just a few small, finger-sized holes. The sheets were torn a few places, and smeared with two species of bodily fluids. The smell had mostly faded after two days, but it was still clear there had been some pretty wild sex happening in this bed.

Conner sighed. “You got it bad, Pops.” 

A whirlwind swirled through the room in the time it took for Lex to realize he was no longer being held up, but before he could actually start falling over. Before he knew what was happening, he was being set in a freshly made bed, sans shoes and belt, but otherwise still dressed.

The pillows still smelled a little like Clark under their clean covers.

“Get some sleep, Pops,” Conner whispered, pulling the blankets up. “I’ll come check on you tomorrow. Clearly can’t leave you alone for a few days. Clark would never forgive me.”

Lex wanted to protest that he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but he fell asleep first.

~o0o~

“You’re sure he’s okay?” Clark was frantic. He wanted to go check on Lex, to see for himself. Conner’s description was more than a little worrying. But, while the guards had let Conner into the compound, if they both left, or Clark tried to leave Conner in his place for the negotiations, someone would definitely blow a gasket and the negotiations would be down the tubes.

All before they actually got anything done.

“He’s sleeping, Kal,” Conner assured Clark, his eyes scanning the room. Probably checking that no one was listening in. Not that anyone trying would understand since they were speaking Kryptonian, and Clark carefully kept the language mostly off-limits to humans. “I’ll check on him in the morning. I think he just drove himself into the ground to get this ready.” Conner shoved the tablet back into Clark’s hands. “So make good use of it.”

Clark looked down at the tablet. The screen was currently set to an image of Metropolis, probably taken from the roof of the Daily Planet. In fact… yes, Clark was pretty sure Jimmy took it last year.

“I don’t know how you put up with us,” Clark said, tucking the tablet under his arm.

Conner grinned. “You kidding? I like Lois well enough, but you and Lex are amazing together.”

Clark raised an eyebrow.

“Ewww. Not like that.” Conner paused thoughtfully, then shuddered. “Well, maybe that way, but I don’t want to think about that side of things. Still as insane as the last few months have been… there’s been this glow about the two of you. I’ve never seen you so happy. Closest I can find is some old pictures Martha kept, from back in Smallville.”

“When we were friends?”

Conner nodded.

“Yeah.” Clark really wanted to hunch over and run his hands through his hair, but he was in costume, had to uphold the Superman image. “You’ll keep an eye on him?”

Conner snorted. “I’m keeping an eye on both of you. Now, go eat your lunch, and when you get bored in the next stupid meeting, check your email.”

~o0o~

>   
>  __
> 
> __
> 
> Mr. Kent,
> 
> President Luthor assures me you will have access to your email shortly, so you should get this soon enough to keep your job. I expect detailed articles on the negotiations. Tidbits none of the other papers can get are quite welcome. I do expect at least some bonus for abandoning me to your ex-wife in the middle of two scandals, one of which she needs your approval to touch and the other she has a conflict of interest on.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Perry White

Clark checked if anyone had noticed he wasn’t paying attention. Nope. Still droning on. Not like “Superman” was the only one playing with files or computers. So he dashed off a quick article on the opening meet and great, including his concerns about the same-old-same-old attitudes, and sent it to Perry. His choice whether to edit the concerns out and leave it a puff piece.

> _  
> _
> 
> If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actually avoiding me out of some kind of emotional breakdown. Vanishing the night the divorce is final? Really, Clark. Your timing is atrocious. The office is back to being unable to decide if I should be pitied or considered the Wicked Witch of the West.
> 
> I hate being pitied.
> 
> Luthor says you should have a secure connection soon, so you’d better answer this STAT. I’ve attached my new article on Petrovich and all the references. Perry won’t publish unless you look at it first and tell him everything is kosher. How messed up is that.
> 
> And since who knows when you’ll get back to me (did I mention your timing SUCKS?) I’ve also thrown in my article on Petrovich’s replacement at the school department for your approval.
> 
> Get back here, Clark. We may not be married anymore, but there’s work to do.
> 
> -Lois

_  
_

Clark chuckled, and started reading through those articles. No one would get to anything of substance in this meeting for at least another hour, and Lois on a tear was a nightmare, even from the other side of the world. Poor Perry.

~o0o~

Okay, so maybe in the meeting between the leaders of Israel and Palestine wasn’t the time to be playing with his new computer, but Clark was bored. Whatever language they were talking in, the content was exactly the same as the last time they’d met like this. Still, that didn’t mean he should check out mentally, or draw attention to his new toy.

None of that meant he could hold back a gasp of surprise when he realized there was a video phone setting on the tablet. Three days and he hadn’t figured out all the features Lex embedded in this thing. How many hours behind was Metropolis?

“What is it, Superman?” 

Fortunately, the question came from one of the several aids scattered about the room. Unfortunately, it attracted both presidents’ attention. 

“Nothing,” Clark said, clicking away from the video prompt. 

“What is this?” The same man leaned in closer, studying the screen, which now was fortunately completely explained in Kryptonian script only. “I have never seen the like.”

“Customized,” Clark said quickly, pulling up the screen saver—maybe he should change that to something more obscure, but he loved seeing his city—and setting the tablet next to his copies of the negotiation documents. “My son brought it by.”

Clark didn’t even realize what he had said until everyone in the room gasped. It was common knowledge that there were two men who went by Superman. Everyone knew the older Superman went by Kal-El and the younger by Kon-El. Given the names, and how much alike they looked, most assumed a familial connection. Still, they’d never actually stated what it was. The most common theory was brothers.

Great, now someone would leak this to one of the reporters outside before the day was out. Clark wasn’t sure if he was likely to be more in trouble with Conner—they’d never really discussed outing their relationship—, Lex—he could feel left out, or… or… hell, right now Clark was so damned lonely and horny it could go anyway—, or Lois—who he’d never permitted to print the truth in her articles.

“We did not realize… What a blessing he is to you.” 

There went one president.

“Truly, to have him follow in your footsteps so. But it must have been so difficult to raise him alone, here on Earth.”

And there went the other. Great, they wouldn’t get a damned thing done for the rest of the day, and Clark would have to tap dance to keep from giving anything else away. Next they’d be sharing baby pictures.

Well, that was an improvement of sorts over after action pictures of bomb blasts.

~o0o~

“You outed Conner?”

Clark huffed, his face comically screwed up in the small image window. “I outed Kon-El. Accidentally.”

“What must they think of you, hiding your son for so long?” Okay, maybe he was laying the sarcasm on a little thick. But Lex was lonely and frustrated, and Conner was stalking him.

“They think I’m protective of him, as he is of me. I’m more worried about letting Lois in hitting range anytime soon.”

Lex chortled. Clark had a point. Lois Lane had reported every major story about Superman’s origins and history, as little as Clark ever shared with the public on that matter since he wasn’t going to admit to growing up in Smallville. Every major story except this one.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any other scoops to hand her to buy her off this time.”

Clark stuck out his tongue.

Heat surged through Lex’s belly. “If you were here, I’d put that to better use.”

This time that tongue traced Clark’s lips, and the eyes above turned a darker shade of blue. “If I thought they wouldn’t throw a fit about me leaving….”

“No blowing the negotiations for a booty call?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Lex tapped his chin, considering how far he wanted to push this. Dumb question really. “We could try phone sex instead.”

Clark started panting. “But… you’re in your office.”

Given an eight hour time difference, there wasn’t much Lex could do about conveniently timed calls, but an afternoon meeting was not going to stop him. He tapped his intercom and told his secretary, “Hold all calls until I tell you otherwise. I’m not to be disturbed for anything.”

Well trained and very practical, she just replied, “Yes, President Luthor,” and closed the connection. 

“Does that attend do your concerns?”

“Depends,” Clark said thoughtfully. “Think you can prop that thing on your desk so the camera can see you below the waist too?”

It took a couple tries—clearly Lex had failed to take a few things into account when designing these tablets—but he did manage to find an angle Clark approved of, and vice versa.

“Ditch the suit,” Lex suggested. “Never really got a chance to just look the other day.”

Clark chuckled, but wiggled somehow and the top somehow detached from the bottom. “Neither did I.”

Lex didn’t really process that comment, too busy studying the muscles upon muscles of Clark’s chest. Not a hair in sight. Amazing. Even his nipples were perfect.

“Lex?”

“Hmm?”

“That was a hint to at least open your shirt.”

He snorted softly first, but Lex went ahead and removed both jacket and shirt, setting them aside. He probably should have gone back to the penthouse for this, but no one would dare to come in. “You got a perfectly good look in those pictures I put in the box.”

Clark pouted. “That was a long time ago. And live is much better.”

Lex purred appreciatively. Glancing over the full view available, he saw Clark’s costume was struggling to contain his genitals. Lex ran a hand over his scalp, then another down his chest, and watched two tentacles slip up from under the waistband. 

It became rather urgent to open his own trousers before he damaged them. The tentacles slid from his fly and wrapped themselves around the hand that was trying to finish opening his trousers.

“That should not be as hot as it is,” Clark said, one hand pulling his tights off, the other clamped on his thigh with a grip that looked like it would break Lex in half. The two actions conflicted, but Clark didn’t look capable of figuring out why.

“Why not?” Lex countered, entranced by the way Clark corralled his tentacles and stroked them all from root to tip. “This is how we are. Seems like life would suck if we couldn’t be turned on by how we look.”

“Still seems weird sometimes.”

“Less by the moment.” Lex might have said more, but at that moment Clark spread his tentacles and dipped one finger into the opening that hid his penis and moaned. Why hadn’t he tried that? “Wait, I know that sound.”

Clark smirked. “Bruce did say you’d been spending a lot of time in your study.”

Lex groaned. “If you’d been just around the corner….”

“I’ve been tempted to stupidity a few time myself.” Clark stroked his emerging penis, and Lex felt his slip out of hiding without further encouragement.

“Next time we’re together, I’m going to touch you in there… with my tongue.”

Clark threw his head back and groaned, fingers tightening around his penis to what must have been a painful degree.

“Careful there,” Lex said, then kicked himself. Clark was Kryptonian. It would take more than a bruising grip to actually hurt him.

“Hmm?” Clark stroked himself twice, hard enough even his knuckles looked a bit pale. “Ah.” He flushed red. “I’m… rather resistant to pain.”

Lex considered. “How much pressure does it take to make you feel it?” He wondered if he’d really engaged Clark fully in their one night together.

“Stop plotting,” Clark said, relaxing his grip until it looked almost teasing. “Middle of the road doesn’t do much, but a light touch…” He traced his fingertips up the length of his penis, barely touching, and shivered. “…is very good.” He made a second pass with his full hand, and moaned. “As is a rather… firm grip.” This stroke wasn’t has hard as the earlier ones, but looked hard enough to break Lex. And yet, Clark looked to be in exquisite pleasure.

“I will test every pressure until I find the perfect one to make you come,” Lex purred.

Clark gasped, eyes rolling back in his head. “God, how did I not realize in high school?”

“Hmm?”

“Your voice… is… liquid sex.”

God, Clark’s desperate tone went straight to Lex’s libido. He’d wanted this for so long, even when he swore he didn’t. “I might have been trying a bit hard… but I fell in lust the moment I woke up on that riverbank. Almost broke me when I learned your age.”

Clark shook with laughter. “Poor Lex. If only I’d understood… I’d have dragged you off to Metropolis right off instead of taking Lana on that date.” 

Lex had to consider that one for a moment. There were so many events between them, and yet it sounded… “God, I think I almost broke my dick on my pants that day. Turning around to see you dressed like that…”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see….” Clark licked his lips.

“You were innocent and sixteen, no matter what you were hopped up on.”

“Red Kryptonite.”

“Hmm, we’ll have to discuss that sometime when I can engage a few more brain cells.” Lex wanted to watch Clark’s lips, his eyes, his chest, but his eyes were fixed on those big, gentle, powerful hands tangled up in all those tentacles. And one hand was inching back.

“You said… anal stimulation is… the same?” Clark asked as his finger slid somewhere Lex couldn’t see. 

“Kryptonians… like….” Lex groaned, imagining his fingers in place of Clark. “I never… knew you… swung….”

“Hmm,” Clark purred. “Oh yes, I experimented….”

“I’m going to want details.” Ah, he was so close, and he was barely touching himself. Hearing Clark was amazing, but seeing him… God, answer to every wet dream in the last thirty years. 

“Oh?” Clark blinked sleepily, or maybe just contentedly, fingers wiggling, stroking. “Let’s see… so many stories.”

Lex groaned. How many men could sweat little Clark have slept with?

“I suppose… start at the beginning. There was a party in college and this guy just kept looking at me. Hmm, I asked a friend, and she—” Clark laughed, throwing his head back. “She flat out told me he was a great lay and I should go for it. I wasn’t even sure….”

“Did you know you wanted him?” Lex purred, enjoying the goose bumps that crossed Clark’s skin when he used that tone. 

“I’m not even sure, not at first.” Clark licked his lips again, leaving them wet and plump. “Didn’t take him long to convince me.”

“What did you do?”

“Let him take me back to his apartment and fucked him through the mattress.”

Lex gasped, his mind flashing images and sensations, Clark above him, inside him. “Is that… all?” God, more details might just kill him. What was he thinking asking that?

“He liked it so much,” Clark said with a shy tilt of his head, “I had to try it. So the next morning he fucked me through the mattress. Could have gone better.” 

“Oh?” Lex winced. He could imagine penetrative sex going very badly depending on Clark’s muscle control. Strong muscles… everywhere… Though nothing had been bruised the other night besides a few fingerprints on Lex’s sides. And nothing at all was broken.

Clark laughed. “No, not like that. I… ummm.” His cheeks flushed bright red. “He didn’t like me calling the wrong name in the heat of passion. And I admit, I did have someone else in mind while he….”

“Oh?” Shivers coursed down Lex’s spine and arousal curled in the pit of his belly. “Who?”

Smirking, Clark stroked his penis twice, then threw his head back and moaned, “Lex.”

Pleasure whited out Lex’s entire nervous system in an instant. When he came to, he was curled over, penis almost in his mouth, and the flavor of come on his tongue.

“That looked good,” Clark purred, a decent imitation of Lex’s own tone. The pleasure if hearing it was almost too much for Lex.

Leaning onto his desk to keep himself up, Lex started into the camera. “Oh, Clark. The next time we are together, I am going to push you down into my bed, naked, and lick you everywhere. I am going to taste and feel every inch of you, cox your penis out with my tongue, and lube you up with my tentacles.” He might have the control for that. Maybe. By then. He’d practice. Clark’s eyes were about rolled back into his head and he was hunched over, barely moving. Except his tentacles, those were writhing 

“Then, when you are wet, desperate, and begging for it, I will fuck you so hard and so long you cannot remember the name of a single other man in your life.” Lex growled as he watched Clark shudder and come, mouth open wide and catching much of his own come. Even with the taste of salt and man lingering on his tongue, Lex wanted to taste Clark.


	21. "An Unexpected Surprise" or "That was not in the records"

Two months.

Two months of negotiations. Two months of rehashing the same old complaints, same old suggestions, same old promises. Two months of sitting in this compound without windows to protect from snipers and bombers.

Two months without Lex.

Clark was going to have to start asking for lunches in the stratosphere if this lasted much longer. His appetite was down, his energy levels fluctuating. He was pretty sure it was lack of sun and not the bond. At least Lex hadn’t complained of anything similar.

So far.

Listening to the argument over soldiers in Jerusalem, again, Clark shifted in his seat. There was this itch at the back of his head, and it was getting worse. When was the last time he’d spent so little time in the sun?

~o0o~

If this meeting wasn’t so important, Lex would never have come down from the penthouse. Nausea had been building in his belly since he woke this morning, and he didn’t have the excuse of a hangover. Alcohol had been less and less appealing over the last few weeks. Hell, food was less and less appealing.

It was probably the bond, but it was building slowly. Clark hadn’t expressed any issues yet. Until he did, Lex would manage. If there was any chance of decreasing the violence in the Middle East… Well, Lex couldn’t in good conscience call Clark back just because he was feeling a bit off.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself until the vomiting started in the middle of the meeting.

~o0o~

When the pain hit, doubling him over, Clark knew he couldn’t stay any longer. He made it to his feet, barely aware of the room, when his tablet chimed to say a video call was coming through. He answered, ignoring the questions and looks from everyone in the room.

It wasn’t Lex.

“He’s vomiting blood,” Conner said in Kryptonian.

“Get him to the fortress. I’ll be right there,” Clark replied despite the way his heart was strangling his throat.

He made it halfway to the door before a hand on his arm stopped him.

“Superman, where are you going? We have not finished for the day,” one of the aids asked. Clark couldn’t begin to remember the man’s name at this point. 

“We’re done,” Clark snapped, and pulled away.

“Please, Kal-El,” said the Israeli president. “We cannot stop. These negotiations are important.”

“Important?” Clark turned, unable to hide the sarcasm. “Covering the same old ground ad nauseam? Making the same promises you’ve made in every negotiation for the last twenty years, and broken the next year, or month, or week?”

Both presidents looked highly offended, though a few of the aids were nodding.

Clark didn’t care. “I have stayed here for two months, away from friends, family, and duties, because I want this to work. Because I believe that peace is possible. But until you all believe peace is possible, it will not happen. And I will no longer be held hostage to your paranoia and lies.”

“Superman.”

“Kal-El.”

“How dare you?”

“My son has called for me, so I am going. When you are ready to try again, when you are ready to prove to me that you really want this, we’ll talk. Until then, good day.”

~o0o~

The flight to the arctic took forever. Clark could barely breath, barely feel the sun, barely think. All he knew was he had to get to Lex.

Except, when he arrived at the fortress, no one was there.

“Greetings, Kal-El. How may I be of assistance?”

“Prepare for a medical emergency,” Clark ordered, and flew back out, headed straight toward Metropolis.

He found Conner less than a hundred miles out. Lex, wrapped in his cloak, was in one arm. A bundle of carpet filled the other. Rather than interrupt his travel, as much as Clark longed to hold Lex in his own arms, he just followed Conner to the fortress.

“Kon-El, how are you injured?”

“Not me, Jor. Pops was vomiting blood.” Conner flew straight to the scanning chamber and had to wait until Jor-El actually opened the door. Lex was completely limp as Conner set him down inside.

“What’s in the carpet?” Clark asked, though his eyes were fixed on the scanners playing over Lex.

“Didn’t think I should leave the vomit.” Conner set the whole thing on a counter Jor-El raised from the floor. “Room was full of lawyers and FBI. I didn’t trust them.”

“That was wise, Kon-El,” Jor-El intoned. “Permitting human scientists access to Kryptonian DNA has not turned out well in the past.”

Conner paled and winced.

“Jor-El,” Clark snapped. “What is wrong with Lex?”

“I am not yet certain, Kal-El. My understanding of zrheg is not as complete as it should be.”

Clark snarled.

“If you will permit me to scan, perhaps I can use your condition for comparison.”

“Will that work?” Conner asked. “Pops started out human. Clark—”

“They are Uchahvia,” Jor-El said, sounding more than a little snippy.

“Alright,” Clark said. “Kon, take Lex?”

“Of course.” Conner stepped in as the door slid open, and lifted Lex gently in his arms. 

As soon as he cleared the way, Clark stepped inside. His stomach lurched as the door slid shut. Lights played over his skin. The door slid open again.

“Please unroll the vomit sample.”

Clark glared at the ceiling since he couldn’t actually glare at the AI. He spotted Lex on another extruded surface, but instead of going to him, Clark unrolled the carpet. Seeing the red mass in the middle of the carpet made him want to vomit. All that had come from Lex?

“The sample contains a mixture of human and Kryptonian genetic material.”

Shivering, Clark stepped back and almost ran over Conner.

“What we want to know is what happened to Pops,” Conner snapped. “Is he going to be okay?” 

“His condition is stable.”

Clark felt his knees give out, but retained enough control to float to Lex’s side. He cupped Lex’s hand in his. So cold. “So stupid…. Raise the temperature to human normal.”

“Temperature increasing.”

“Stable is good, but what happened?” Conner stepped next to Clark, almost huddling over him.

“My understanding of zrheg is incomplete—”

“Extrapolate from known data and comparison scan,” Clark snapped.

“The zrheg expelled an incompatible pregnancy.”

Clark stopped listening at that point. He let Conner move around him, settling Lex, connecting some kind of treatment. None of it mattered, could possibly matter, until Lex’s blue eyes opened.

“Clark,” Lex croaked. His eyes widened and he clawed at his throat.

“Help him,” Clark barked.

“Here, help him sit up,” Conner said with a nudge. “Support his back. There, now drink this, slowly. It’ll sooth the damage done to your throat and stomach. We think.”

With his arms around Lex, it seemed a little easier to breath. Clark shared worried looks with Conner as Lex drank, but strength seemed to seep back into every muscle with every sip.

“What happened?” Lex finally said after emptying the cup.

“You… uhh…” Conner looked at Clark and shrugged.

“You were… we think… pregnant,” Clark whispered in Lex’s ear.

Lex jerked, almost threw himself of the surface before Clark caught him. “No one told me—” He choked off mid bellow, clutching his throat again.

“Hey, be careful with yourself,” Conner said. “Even you don’t heal instantly.

“No one said anything about being zrheg making me female,” Lex grumbled, this time in a whisper.

“Zrheg and zrhog are more genetically compatible with other races,” Jor-El cut in. “This would be less effective if zrheg and zrhog were incapable of carrying children as well as fathering them.”

Lex frowned. “Were hermaphrodites? This was not in the original files you gave me, Clark. You said you’d found everything your archives had.”

“I did,” Clark said. “At least I thought I did. Jor-El, where are you getting this?”

“Extrapolation.”

“From what?” Okay, that was a little hysterical sounding, but really, this was just so insane.

“From the zrheg’s condition, from the combined genetic material in the vomit, from your condition, Kal-El.”

“My condition?” Clark squeaked.

“His condition?” Lex asked.

“His condition?” Conner bellowed. “You didn’t say anything about Clark’s condition.”

“Kal-El is pregnant. The scans are unclear at present, but there appear to be two fetuses. Extrapolation suggests that they combine the DNA of the zrheg and Kal-El.”

~o0o~

“His name is Lex.”

Clark’s growl didn’t completely compute as Lex tried to make sense of the impossible events of the day. 

“And you will treat him with respect, Jor-El.”

Had he really just interrupted an important meeting with the FBI by miscarrying a child? His child? Clark’s….

“Can….” The sounds were so hard to force out, but that made some sense. He’d probably damaged his vocal chords earlier, between the vomiting and the screaming. “Can you show us the scan?”

A holographic projection of Clark floated before him. The image zoomed in on his torso. Uniform and skin vanished, leaving internal organs. And inside the stomach…

Lex reached up an arm, his fingers barely passing through the small sac inside Clark’s stomach, the small sack with two little shapes. 

“You can see their heads,” he whispered.

“Kryptonian and Human pregnancies both run approximately the same length of time. It is unknown if variation will occur because the parents are members of the Uchahavia.”

“How did this even happen?” Conner asked, looking away from the projection. “I mean…. You know, I don’t want to know. This is worse than getting the birds and the bees lecture from Grandma Martha.”

Clark chuckled. “Sorry, but if I had to face it…”

“Yeah, yeah. You two figure this out, but leave me out of it.” Conner shuddered. “Ick.” 

“And if you end up like us?” Lex said. “Shouldn’t you know what you’re at risk for?” He turned to Clark as best he could. “We’re going to have children. Twins.” The words didn’t feel real in his mouth.

“Should have been three.” Clark’s expression twisted with pain. “Could it have been me being away so long…?”

“Unlikely,” Jor-El said. “The zrheg… Lex is too human. His body rejected the fetus as a foreign contaminant. Possibly due to the advanced healing triggered by exposure to Kryptonite radiation. His immune system is highly active.”

“So if I hadn’t been in Smallville—”

“Lex, no,” Clark cut in. “There are way too many unknowns here. The bond, being apart, how this happened… I could lose….” He blinked frantically, eyes wet.

“Will he lose the fetuses?” Lex asked.

“Uncertain, but scans indicate no conflict at present.”

“Good… that’s good.” Lex meant it, really, and yet there was still a twist in his gut that had nothing to do with the lingering nausea from the miscarriage. “So, I’m going to be okay? The scans didn’t show…?” He didn’t even know what to ask. The words escaped him. 

“You require rest and nutrients. Scans indicate you have not partaken of sufficient nutrients for some time due to the increased space requirements of the fetus.”

Lex nodded, wiggling from Clark’s arms and sitting up on his own. “Right, rest. Good. So, if one of you could run be back, I should perform some damage control.”

Conner sighed. “Clark can take you to the penthouse, where you will rest and eat something gentle on your stomach. I will perform damage control. I was the one who yanked you out of there, after all.”

“I can—“

“Don’t even try it, Pops.” Conner pressed Lex back as he stood, back into Clark who’s arms came around him and held firmly. “You will rest. Forty-eight hours. Doctor’s orders. I will handle informing LuthorCorp.”

Lex had to admit, at least to himself, that he felt a little wobbly. Physically and emotionally.

“You’ll stay with him? Don’t need to head back to Israel?”

Clark snorted. “Not sure either of us is going to be welcome there any time soon. I… kinda told them off when they tried to stop me from leaving.”

“Their loss.” Conner shrugged. “Get some sun. Both of you probably. And rest. I’ll check on you after I talk to Pops’ people.”

“Thank you, Kon,” Clark said, sweeping Lex up into his arms. “For everything.”

“I’m not a damsel in distress,” Lex muttered as they rose slowly out of the fortress and into the cold arctic air.

“Nope,” Clark said, far too cheerfully. “I’m the one who’s knocked up at the moment. But you can’t fly, so hold on.”

“You ever get the feeling our lives are even more convoluted than a Warrior Angel comic?” Lex asked just as the air began to whistle by almost too fast to breath.

Clark waited until they landed on the penthouse patio to answer. “Since the day you hit me with your porche

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so originally this one had no mpreg, no plans for mpreg, no interest in mpreg. And then I read a few too many intriguing and crazy theories on Kryptonian mpreg. If I ever remember who to blame for this, I'll add the name, but I know I got the idea from someone. Now, I had originally intended to keep this story just tentacle!porn, let the mpreg show up in the sequel if I ever wrote it, but Clark and Lex wouldn't listen and insisted they were going to jump into bed. Now. So, here you have it, crack upon crack. And the question of whether it is actually mpreg, or just weird alien sexuality. Wow, my brain is warped.


	22. Not Quite Perfection, But Close Enough

It seemed impossible, but at present, life was more surreal than Clark could ever remember it being. When he’d first learned he was an alien, he could remember wandering around with the urge to add “and I’m an alien” to every statement.

“How are you today, Clark.”

“Fine, Mr. Stevens.” _But I’m an alien._

He’d never said it, but the temptation had lingered on the tip of his tongue.

Well now he was well used the whole alien thing, but not so much with the whole pregnant thing.

“Finish that article on the waste department’s reaction to Mayor Petrovich’s scandal.”

“Yes, Perry.” _And by the way, I’m pregnant. How do you want to deal with the paternity leave? Maternity leave?_

So far Lex, Clark, and Conner were the only people who knew. At some point Clark was going to have to tell Lois… the League…. But how? They didn’t even know how it had happened, hadn’t known it was possible until Lex….

And that was another problem. Lex was going about as normal, but it was an illusion. Deep down somewhere, Lex was shattering. And he wouldn’t let Clark close to help. They hadn’t shared mindscapes since the miscarriage, and Clark wasn’t sure if Lex was seeing J’onn for training anymore.

“Come on, Smallville,” Lois said, grabbing Clark’s arm and dragging. “My source says Petrovich is meeting with one of his contacts in the warehouse district. You’re coming with me.”

Clark sighed and let her drag him out of the press room. They’d probably spend the evening staring at an empty alley. Again. But maybe he could find a way to tell her while they were waiting.

~o0o~

The penthouse felt like a trap, but his office felt even worse. The Secret Service had been hovering something awful since… the incident. Even with the carpet in that conference room replaced and the window repaired, everyone was on edge. Miles had been all but sitting in Lex’s lap ever since, did glare at every new report about either Superman, and the only reason he didn’t linger in the penthouse was Lex kept shutting the door in the man’s face.

Lex knew he should be talking to someone. The cover story for his sudden illness was weak and for why Superman dragged him from the building was practically nonexistent. Something else Lex should do something about. But he couldn’t focus. At this rate, Oliver was going to get off light, or maybe even scott free.

“Fuck!” Another crystal decanter cut a glittering arc across the room and shattered against the stone of the fireplace. Lex shouldn’t go over there until it had been cleaned up. Or he should put shoes on.

But what did it matter if his feet got a bit cut up? He’d heal soon enough. His precious healing ability. The ability that killed his child. He cupped his belly, though it was low for where the child had actually sat. He wasn’t a woman, couldn’t carry a child like one of them. So why the fuck did this bother him so goddamned much?

It wasn’t like Lex had expected to ever have children, not after so many failed and homicidal marriages. Conner was as close to an heir as he was going to get. And yet, it was possible that Clark was carrying his children. Children.

So what was to get so upset about if he couldn’t carry one himself? Fuck that. He was Lex Luthor. He could do anything he wanted. And right now he wanted to be a father with Clark. That he was going to get.

Though there were a few things he really ought to set up. They needed an excuse for the appearance of two babies in their lives. Clark was still living in McDougal’s condo. That needed to be fixed. And Lex needed to formalize his relationship with Clark if he wanted to have a legal place in his children’s lives without explaining to the world just how they came to be.

Ugg. That would make the tabloids go insane.

~o0o~

Clark was dripping wet when he came through the penthouse door with a foul expression on his face. Lex was surprised Miles hadn’t intercepted him out of fear for Lex’s life.

“Bad evening?” Lex asked dryly.

The growl Clark let out resonated through the apartment. Lex might have worried about his safety if Clark hadn’t promptly flopped down on the couch with a sigh of relief.

“You couldn’t have put down a towel first? You’re going to ruin the leather.”

“I should have gone to the fortress,” Clark muttered, pulling himself to his feet.

Lex shoved him lightly until he collapsed back into the cushions. “I can afford a new couch. What happened?”

“Lois and her snidge hunts.” Clark looked away, his cheeks turning a rosy red. “I might have… tried to tell her….”

“It has been two months since we found out,” Lex said nodding. “It’s probably time to start… She didn’t take it well?”

“She squeaked and shoved me into the river.”

Lex started considering ways to have Lois Lane killed. Subtly, of course.

“And that was only after I told her zrhogs are good at crossbreeding with other races. I didn’t actually get to… Lex? Are you plotting?”

Plastering an innocent look on his face, Lex focused on Clark. “Of course not.”

“Leave her alone. I timed it badly. Not to mention she’s got a right to still be a little pissed about the Conner thing.” Clark reached out and caught Lex’s hand, weaving their fingers together. It sent a weak thrill through Lex. “I’ll tell her another time… maybe I should tell Bruce and J’onn first.”

“If J’onn doesn’t already know….”

Clark shrugged. “I haven’t seen him since…. He missed my ‘debrief’ with the league. Have you see him?”

Lex shook his head though he’d rather avoid the subject. He really didn’t want to let some superhero muck around in his head when he wasn’t sure what was in his head.

“Lex….”

“I’m not…” Shit, he hadn’t meant to say anything.

“I know you’re not ready.” Clark cupped their joined hands with his free hand. “But he might help with that. Please consider it.”

Subject change. Subject change. “Marry me.”

Fuck, Lex really, really hadn’t meant to ask that just yet. 

And yet, green eyes full of joy met his.

“Move in today. Tomorrow.” And now he was babbling, but it was making Clark smile. “Whenever you want. We can turn one of the guest rooms into a nursery. My cook loves feeding you. I meant to have a ring first, but—“

A tug pulled Lex down into Clark’s lap, a finger pressed against his lips ensured his silence.

“Yes.”

Lex talked past the finger. “Conner can take your sublet.”

“Lex, I said yes.” Earnest eyes full of tears looked up from above a broad smile. “And I promise that this time your spouse will never try to kill you.” Clark looked sideways and his cheeks warmed as he looked back to Lex. “Well, not intentionally.

To someone else that might sound insane, but Lex understood perfectly. Clark was an insanely strong, invulnerable alien. Sometimes he punched holes in things. Like Lex’s very expensive mattress. 

“Promise you’ll talk to J’onn soon.”

“Clark, I’m fine.” The words felt false on his tongue even as he forced them out.

Clark’s fingers curled around Lex’s cheek, tracing his jawline and up to his cheekbone. “I can feel it. Not always from a distance, but here? Touching you? I love you, Lex. And I don’t know how to help you stop hurting.”

“I thought Conner was the closest I would ever get to an heir.” Lex kicked himself for that statement, but Clark’s expression was so understanding, he couldn’t stop himself. “To find out that isn’t true, and lose the chance at the same moment….”

“You haven’t—“

“I know.” Lex pressed his free hand to Clark’s breastbone. “And that is… so amazing. Even while it hurts.”

“Please, Lex. It won’t solve everything, but get some help.”

He had to mean it, but for Clark, he could. So Lex nodded.

Clark pulled Lex down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Thank you.” With a finger under his chin, Clark tipped Lex’s head up enough to press a kiss to his lips. “Now, I’m dripping wet because my ex is still processing, and we just got engaged. Either you should be comforting me, or celebrating with me.”

“Would either of those include nudity?” Lex felt his mood lift a little, along with other things.

“Both, I should think.”

“Hmm, I did made some promises while you were gone that we haven’t gotten to.”

Clark’s eyes dilated in an instant as he sucked in a desperate breath. “I should… river water….”

“How fast can you get us to the shower?”

Very fast, apparently. The world was a blur, the air sucked from his lungs, and they were in the bathroom. Clothing disappeared in the next moment. Lex’s clothes vanished in a few light tugs, though he didn’t move again. Which meant the pile of clothes in the corner was probably more a pile of scraps. But as Clark’s clothes came off, Lex really, really didn’t care. Trailing his hands over Clark’s torso, tracing the lines so exquisitely delineated by every muscle, was much more interesting than the state of his clothes. Clothes could be replaced. Clark was unique.

“Shower, Lex,” Clark said with a chuckle, then moved into the shower enclosure and turned on the water. Lex followed, his hands trailing over Clark’s back. 

“Holy shit,” he murmured, cupping Clarks’ ass. Had he ever actually looked at it before? Even through the suit? The cape was usually in the way.

“Soap.”

The bar was placed in Lex’s hands, unfortunately replacing the glory of Clark’s ass. Lex raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re going to insist on fondling, you could soap me up as well,” Clark suggested with far too much clarity of mind. “Sooner I’m clean, the sooner you can replace your hands with your tongue. That was your promise, as I recall.”

Lex purred, and put his hands to good use. He might have lingered a little long in a few places, making sure he washed every inch of every tentacle, savoring the shudders as he slid a soapy finger between Clark’s delectable cheeks, studying Clark’s reaction as he stroked the arch of his foot. Each stroke had to be repeated a few times, at different pressures, Clark’s exact reactions recorded for review.

“I should get some shampoo for next time,” Clark murmured as Lex reached his hair.

“Hmm, should have done something about that before now,” Lex said, sliding his fingers through Clark’s silky curls. “I’ll add it to the buy list tomorrow.”

“Maybe I should take care of that.” Clark stepped out from under Lex’s touch and slipped under the spray of water. “You’d pick something absurdly expensive.” Water slid down his curves, highlighted by trails of soap.

“I’ll pick something that makes your hair smell divine and feel exquisite.”

“Superman shouldn’t start smelling different.”

Lex stepped into the spray and splayed both hands over Clark’s pecks. “I’ll buy Conner a bottle too.” He wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying. Watching Clark’s nipples peak at his touch was much more interesting.

“Your turn.”

The words didn’t make any sense, until Clark started running his hands over Lex. There must have been soap in one hand, because Lex could see the bubbles trailing across his skin, but all he was really aware of was the slid of Clark’s hands over his skin. And warmth. Clark carried an extra burst of warmth wherever he went. Lex had noticed that from the first, freezing from his dip in the river. Everywhere Clark had touched him was warm, even his lips.

Was it any wonder he’d fallen in lust the instant his eyes opened?

Clark shoved Lex back under the water, but his hands continued to trace patterns across Lex’s skin. At points they moved so fast, covered so much skin, it was like being massaged by a hundred hands or more. Lex closed his eyes and just savored. He felt warm, and safe, and home. God, when was the last time he, Lex Luthor, felt at home? Really at home? 

Questions flew from his mind as Clark’s fingers tangled with his tentacles, leaving him gasping and arching against Clark. Fingers tickled at the opening at the core of the tangle, sending tingles of pleasure up his spine.

“What’s your refractory time these days?” Clark whispered into Lex’s ear as his fingers stroked the tip of his emerging penis.

“Good,” Lex choked out.

“Hope so.” Clark bit lightly at Lex’s earlobe. “Because I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.” Clark whirled Lex until his back was against the wall. It didn’t make sense until Clark’s tongue started tickling at Lex’s tentacles, stroking across the tip of his penis. Shock froze Lex as he realized he had Clark—Superman—Clark on his knees before him.

“Clark,” Lex gasped, tangling his fingers through Clark’s curls. The implied power burned along his nerves even as the pleasure of Clark’s tongue and lips on him shot through his bones.

“How long have you dreamed of this?” Clark asked, pulling away for a moment before diving back in. Lex’s tentacles tickled along his cheeks and chin and Clark dove for Lex’s penis, but Clark didn’t look disturbed at all.

“God, Clark, only twenty-six years or so,” Lex gasped. Had his sensitivity changed? It was hard to tell. He’d never been blown by a Kryptonian before. And yet, something was amazingly different as Clark’s lips slid around his penis. Clark’s hands pinned his hips the wall, he couldn’t move, and yet he felt tongue and lips sliding more and more of his length. “Clark.”

No reply, just a vibrating hum that rose through Lex from the tip of his length to the depths of his soul. The warmth, the vibration, the flow of water across his chest, Clark’s curls under his fingers. It was all too much. Lex exploded, hips straining against Clark’s grip as pleasure tore him apart.

~o0o~

Clark carefully guided an incoherent Lex out of the shower. A convenient wall kept Lex up while Clark dried those miles and miles of hairless and luminous skin. It wasn’t until He had Lex laying in the bed and was standing to the side, drying his hair, that Lex’s eyes blinked and began to focus again.

“Good?”

“You…” Lex managed a very weak glare. “No need to be sarcastic.”

Clark had to smirk. “We’ll have to see if a second go is as good, or if that was all the shock and awe of an ancient fantasy finally fulfilled.”

“You are way too coherent.”

Truth was, Clark wasn’t sure how he was coherent. The sounds Lex had made, the feel of him under Clark’s fingers, the taste of him—oh the taste—had been so exquisite that Clark felt the pleasure of an orgasm run up and down his spine along with Lex. Or perhaps that had been Lex’s orgasm he’d felt. They hadn’t really tested the possible empathic feedback of their bond. Still, after only a moment of bliss, Clark had been completely clear headed.

“So do something about it,” Clark teased, walking away, back to the bathroom to hang the towel up to dry. When he walked back into the bedroom, Lex had arranged himself alluringly across the bed, fingers tangled in his tentacles and a look of utter bliss on his face.

“Get over here, farmboy.” The heat in Lex’s eyes drew Clark from across the ludicrously  
large bedroom.

Clark tried to linger, tried to tease, but the temptation of a naked Lex Luthor was too much. Nothing was going to drag him away before he’d sated his curiosity and explored every inch of the man he’d lusted after since he was fifteen, if obliviously at first.

Well, maybe an alien invasion, but Conner could handle the first few rounds of attack on his own. 

As soon as he was in reach, Lex yanked Clark down to the mattress. “Now, stay there.” Lex reared over Clark and started stroking his hands down Clark’s chest, across his shoulders, down his arms. Each stroke was a different pressure, like in the shower, going from so light it was barely a feeling of warmth to hard enough to bruise a human. Some passes were ‘eh’, but most were exquisite, and Clark made sure to let Lex know how much he appreciated the feeling.

Before long, Lex switched to using his lips and tongue, and as promised, he started at the top and covered every inch of Clark’s front. Except the one inch or three Clark really, really wanted Lex to lick.

“Roll over,” Lex ordered. Clark whimpered, but did so, and the feel of Lex’s hands stroking down his back and legs almost made up for the ache in his groin as his penis and tentacles were trapped against the mattress.

When Lex’s tongue started probing between Clark’s cheeks, he forgot any and all aches, thrusting hard against the bed. “Lex,” he groaned.

Lex slithered up his back and Clark could feel Lex’s tentacles exploring the backs of his legs. “I’m going to fuck you soon,” Lex whispered. “But I promised one other thing first. Roll over.”

Clark protested, though it was more an incoherent sound of desire to his own ears than anything that made a lick of sense in any language he was familiar with. It felt like his tentacles were pushing as hard to roll him over as his arms, and once he was on his back there was no time to get comfortable. Lex’s face dove straight in to just where Clark wanted him.

The feeling was amazing. Fingers were great. Fingers could cling and be clung to. But even just feeling himself sliding along the planes of Lex’s face, his lips nibbling along the lengths, was utterly perfect. When Lex’s tongue slid over the opening that hid Clark’s penis, he thought the world might fade out.

“Lex,” Clark moaned, his fingers clenched at his sides. He wanted to cup Lex’s head, to caress the curve and stroke the smooth skin, but he didn’t dare. He’d long ago trained himself out of tangling his hands in a lover’s hair at a time like this. It was too dangerous.

Lex didn’t seem to care. As his tongue danced with the tip of Clark’s emerging penis, darting back into the pocket it rose from, he grabbed Clark’s left hand and placed it along his scalp. Clark twitched his fingers, half frozen in fear. Then Lex sucked.

Clark exploded, pleasure going from tingles to orgasm in an instant. His fingers clenched against Lex’s skull, but as the world seeped back in, he realized the pressure remained perfectly safe. Relief as much as the orgasm left Clark limp against the pillows.

Lex slid up Clark until they were eye to eye, Clark’s hand still cradling his head. “You taste amazing,” he said, and kissed Clark. As Lex’s tongue slipped into Clark’s mouth, the familiar taste of his own seed filled his mouth, underlain by the unique taste that was Lex. “If I’d know you tasted that good,” Lex whispered against Clark’s lips, nipping at Clark’s bottom lip as he paused, “I would have kidnapped you to be my personal sex slave years ago.”

Clark rolled them over, pinning Lex to the mattress and plundering his mouth. “Mmmmm. Lex. Could trap you in the fortress and keep you for my pleasure.”

Laugher burst forth from Lex and he pushed at Clark until he gave in and rolled to his side. “We’ll try that some time,” Lex promised between kisses. “But I’m not quite done with you yet. Hands and knees or hips in the air?”

Shivers of delight ran through Clark, but he found himself frozen, unable to decide. Looking up at Lex, he shrugged.

“Impossible.” Lex slapped Clark’s hip, then leaned in for a kiss. Hovering over Clark’s face, he asked, “How did that first lover of yours take you?”

Images of Ron poured through Clark’s head and ghostly sensations skittered along his skin. “Hands and knees,” he choked out, remembering how he’d thrown his head back at the end, screaming Lex’s name, imagining smooth skin pressed against his back and ignoring the sweep of Ron’s long hair. 

“Then I’d best banish that memory.” Lex slapped Clark’s hip again, then shoved. “Up and over.” 

Clark wanted to feel Lex wrapped around him, desperately, but as he pulled himself onto his knees, Lex moved away.

“Hey,” Clark protested, rearing up to look.

“Down,” Lex ordered, and Clark could only to the sound of a wooden drawer opening, the pop of a plastic cap, the slick sound of liquid being poured and smoothed.

Finally, Lex pressed his chest to Clark’s back, wrapped his arms around Clark’s waist. Clark sighed contentedly, arching up into the contact.

“God, you can hold me up like this indefinitely, can’t you. Spread your legs a little more.”

When Clark complied, he felt himself spread open by small tendrils. Firm and slick, they slid across his skin as they had his face in the shower, then one slid in. 

“Oh,” Lex moaned. 

A second slick line joined the first, wriggling and twisting inside Clark. It was the most amazing, unique feeling. “S’better than fingers,” Clark gasped. “How…?”

“You keep em under control at work,” Lex said, wriggling against Clark as the third line slid in. “Ah. S’not impossible to direct….”

“You… you….” Clark couldn’t find the words as he felt fuller and fuller. “S’been too long.”

“Fingers not enough for you?” Lex growled. “I’ll remember… I practiced, studied, figured out—“

“More.” Clark wanted to know, wanted to learn so he could do the same to Lex, but right now he just wanted more, more of Lex, more of that feeling, just more. A hand wandered up to pluck at his nipple as a little more thickness filled him.

“God, you’re so tight. Feel so, so good,” Lex said, thrusting his hips and rocking against Clark. “That’s all of them.”

“Fuck me,” Clark demanded.

Pressure pulled back. Something tickled along Clark’s peritoneum.

“No,” he moaned. “More.”

“Gotta make some room,” Lex said, stroking his hand up and down the length of Clark’s front, the touch light enough to light his nerves off like fireworks.

“No.” Clark couldn’t be clearer. “Fuck me,” he begged. 

“Just how much can you handle?” Lex asked, his tone almost scientific.

Careful of his balance right now, Clark raised one hand to grab Lex’s and wrap it around his tentacles and his penis, trying to make it clear to his lover just how turned on he was. “Everything. Please, Lex.”

Lex shudder, but the tickle slipped away and the feeling of fullness increased.

“More,” Clark pleaded. 

Pressure increased, slowly, stretching. This was nothing like having sex with a human man. He was already full to the normal width and depth, but a wriggling full, each member tickling along sensitive membranes even as the whole pulled against the muscles with delicious tension. The slender, yet increasing, width of Lex’s penis at first just pulled against the muscles, stretching Clark like no one ever had.

Unable to resist, Clark clenched, just a little, and felt Lex shiver against him. Goosebumps broke out along Lex’s skin, and Clark could feel every one prickling against his sensitive nerves.

As the stretch increased, a feeling of depth was added. “Can feel you,” Clark gasped, “so deep.”

“God, Clark. I’m not even halfway.” A twitch of Lex’s hips shoved him deeper at all levels. “Gonna taste me in your throat when I come.”

“Fuck.” Clark twitched, shoved back, arched into Lex’s weight. “Please.” It seemed impossible that Lex could get any deeper, but he could feel it, feel Lex, deep inside him, deeper than anyone had been.

“Ahhhh!” Clark came half off the bed and hovered there, unable to control himself.

Lex clung to him. “What? Are you okay?”

Panting heavily, eyes squeezed shut against the burst of heat threatening within, Clark moaned. “No prostate,” he managed to say.

“But I just….” Lex paused, then twitched something and that same burst of pleasure ripped through Clark, starting with his ass and ending in the tips of his toes and fingers. “No one could reach that.”

Swallowing hard, Clark settled back on the bed. “You can.”

“What was the name of that first lover of yours?” Lex whispered into Clark’s ear.

“Ron?” Clark was confused, but any questions he might have asked flew from his head as Lex twitched again, and again, nailing that spot with every pass.

“Gonna… fuck you… ‘til you can’t… remember your… own name,” Lex panted. One hand tweaked Clark’s nipples, first one, then the other, first hard, then soft. The other hand teased Clark’s tentacles, stroked his penis, and generally drove him insane. 

“Lex,” Clark panted, starbursts going off behind his eyes. It seemed impossible, but Lex was deeper, still hitting that spot with wiggles and twists, but forging deeper and deeper into Clark.

“Lex,” Clark moaned, feeling his tentacles grip Lex’s hand tight, taking his pleasure from wiggling his penis against Lex’s palm. Lex rained kissed down upon the back of his neck, the side of his head.

“Lex!” Clark screamed as Lex hit that spot one more time and the dam broke. Pleasure poured from every pore.

His arms held up, barely, but he head now hung low enough his hair brushed the sheet. 

“What was the name of your first lover?” Lex whispered, body tense and twitching.

“Huh?” was all Clark could get out.

Lex tensed, twitched, and pulsed, Clark’s over sensitized nerves reporting every movement against him and in him with vivid detail.

Shaking, with Lex limp across his back. Clark lowered them slowly to the mattress.

“Should….” Lex shifted as if he was going to roll off. 

Clark trapped both hands and held Lex in place. “Stay.”

“Crush you.”

Clark snorted. “Invulnerable alien.”

Lex chuckled. “Right. Right.”

Yawning, Clark asked, “Come with me tomorrow to tell Bruce the good news?” 

“Can we do that again first?” Lex said, lipping at the back of Clark’s neck, radiating contented drowsiness.

“Depends.”

A hint of tension. “On?”

“Whether you’d rather if I did that to you first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done. Thank you all for coming along for the ride. I've had an amazing time writing this little bit of insanity. I had no idea when I started that I would break 60k words. If that's not the longest tentacle fic in the Smallville fandom, I don't know what is. (Reading that one at 4000 or 6000 was the longest known might have been a trigger for starting this. 
> 
> I hope everyone has had as much fun as I have. For those who still have questions, I answered some in the comments of chapter 21 and I might eventually write a sequel. If the muse demands hard enough.


End file.
